A “retailing gap” is emerging between managed pubs and the tenanted/leased and freehouse sector regarding their ability to embrace technology.
That’s according to Everards managing director Stephen Gould, who chairs the Future Pub Group at the British Beer & Pub Association. Speaking at the Future Pub Conference, organised by M&C Report and the Publican’s Morning Advertiser, Gould highlighted the “huge challenge” that exists around technology, which is head is in its “late infancy”, and said it’s a “particular challenge” to the 40,000 small businesses in the pub sector.
“The managed retail part of the pub sector is moving ahead quickly in relation to the technology agenda, and that’s where you’ve got a retailing gap between managed operator and leased and tenanted operator or freehouse operator,” said Gould.
“So there’s a huge challenge there for those 40,000 small businesses as to how you go about embracing technology at pace in its late infancy.”
Gould highlighted the way Domino’s refers to its franchisees as customers and urged that approach to be adopted in the tenanted pub sector.
“I think, if there is change for the next seven years, it has to be tenants and lessees being referred to as customers because I think that changes mindset.”
Gould added: “I’d also like to see by 2020 licensees being proud to be a member of the chartered institute of hospitality. Why don’t we continue to professionalise our industry even more and ensure that the licensee role is recognised for what it is, which is a true profession?”
The first ever Future Pub Conference took place at the Tate Modern in London on Wednesday.
