Drinkers back all night pub opening
Pub-Goers survey reveals customers favour 24-hour drinking
Pub customers have given the thumbs up to a 24-hour drinking culture - a view that is unlikely to please many publicans.
Customers surveyed for The Publican Newspaper/Britvic Soft Drinks Pub-Goers Survey said they wanted to see 24-hour drinking throughout the week, whereas publicans would be happier with a simple midnight extension on Fridays and Saturdays.
The survey, conducted among 400 pub goers and 75 non pub-goers by independent researchers NOP, was compared directly with the Publican's Market Report survey of 1,000 licensees.
Although about a third of pub-goers are happy with the existing arrangement, out of those who favour longer hours, 28 per cent of pub goers would like to see 24-hour drinking at weekends, compared with just four per cent of publicans. Again, a high 17 per cent of pub goers would prefer to see a 24-hour drinking culture all week, compared to just one per cent of publicans.
With many publicans already working beyond the 48-hour week it's not difficult to understand their lack of enthusiasm.
Over half of the publicans surveyed would simply welcome midnight closing at weekends.
However, Tim Martin, chairman of JD Wetherspoon said: "These results show that the industry needs to pull its socks up. Alcohol is already available to consumers 24-hours a day and the trade will get a bigger share of the market through a change in lifestyle and habit. There is a danger that pubs will go out of business and pubs need to change as time goes on."
Simon Emeny, retail director of Fuller, Smith & Turner, said: "Longer hours will bring in extra custom, however, it would be unviable to open much of our estate beyond midnight. There is not enough extra trade to justify 24-hour opening."
The survey showed that while consumers would welcome the extended hours, only 18 per cent said they would go to the pub more, yet 35 per cent said they would spend more time in the pub.
Favoured hours
Publicans | Pub Goers | |
1 per cent | 17 per cent | 24 hours a week |
4 per cent | 28 per cent | 24 hours at weekends |
20 per cent | 15 per cent | Midnight closing all week |
51 per cent | 21 per cent | Midnight closing on Fri/Sat |
24 per cent | 18 per cent | When the last customer leaves |
Base: all those who favour longer hours
The Publican Newspaper/ Britvic Soft Drinks Pub-Goers Survey was conducted by NOP to establish what the public really thinks of pubs, the people who run them and the services and products they receive.
A full report on the survey's findings, including charts and graphs will be available from thePublican.com from next Monday, November 5.
