The smoke ban time bomb

With the smoking ban in England

ominously close, many licensees have failed to plan their strategy - despite

what could be a watershed moment

for the future of their businesses

No one needs reminding that the smoking ban in England is just over one month away. Even so, it appears that many licensees still haven't formulated their plans for the ban, even when it comes to the most basic requirement - providing a cigarette bin.

Lee Rooney, proprietor of Bins Direct, warns: "There is still a large-scale hold-off in buying cigarette bins. A lot of people haven't formulated where they are going to put facilities like shelters or are waiting for planning permission before they make up their minds about the bins."

Rooney warns about making false economies. "We have had people come to us because they have tried cheap bins that have fallen apart or they've tried sand-filled buckets, which look tatty and have damaged their business."

He advises licensees to only buy bins made from heavy-gauge galvanised or stainless steel, as they will last longer. "The last thing you want is a damaged bin with sharp edges that can injure your customers."

Get the right cover

Another with pertinent advice is Tony Reynolds, director of canopy supplier Shading by Design. He says: "Don't view a shelter as a smoking solution, but as part of your overall business. Licensees should consider what they need and what their customers need,

and make decisions based on that. Also, make sure that you get value for money and don't put up a cheap shelter, umbrella or awning that costs maybe £500 or £1,000. It might be cheap, but it is still money poorly spent."

At present, Shading by Design has sufficient stock to supply and erect a shelter within three to four weeks. Reynolds says this lead time could lengthen if there is a sudden rush of orders.

Another of his tips is to allow plenty of time to obtain planning permission. "There are

bureaucrats everywhere. They all have their own interpretations or little niggles about what they will accept."

More than pot luck

Cindy Pettit, company director of Illumi-nated Pots, points out that some people are erecting shelters, but not looking beyond that to the external environment. Pettit says that both smokers and non-smokers will make judgments on the business based on whether the environment around the shelter is attractive or not.

The company says its polyethylene pots spruce up outdoor areas. The pots are like a Thermos flask in that they are double-skinned, except that low-voltage bulbs occupy the space between the "walls" of the pot instead of a vacuum. At night, the walls of the pot glow in whatever colour has been chosen and the potting material remains hidden.

Pettit says that operators who have installed illuminated pots at the front of their venues

attract more customers.

She adds: "Quite a few high-street venues and nightclubs have filled our 900mm and 1m-high planters with sand, placed a metal bowl on top, and put them on patios and terraces. At night, they send out the message that these are the ashtrays and this is the smoking area."

Angela McHale, a director of shelter supplier AD Direct, says that licensees are starting to think more about the ban. "We are getting a lot of enquiries, stretching from Dundee to Dorset, and a lot more hits on our website."

She says these enquiries reveal that a fair proportion of people are considering bespoke shelters to fit the space available or blend

with the existing building.

"At the moment, if it is a bespoke shelter, it will take around 21 days from receipt of order to installation," she says. "But we anticipate that this could stretch to maybe six weeks. Some licensees are thinking of shelters as more than cover for smokers. We are getting customers who want to fit weatherproof plasma screens in our shelters."

Protect and survive

Confirming the trend, Ian Manners, managing director of Zenith Structures, reports growing interest among clients who want shelters that can be used for eating-out in the summer and smoking in winter. He says: "Food-led pubs are moving towards Continental café-bar/restaurant culture, but also want to retain their smoking customers by giving them somewhere comfortable to sit outside in winter."

Manners says that an increasing number of his clients are opting to lease rather than buy. "We recently installed three 5m x 5m structures for a client, who is paying around £160 per month over four years. The installation can accommodate 75 people, so he only needs to fill it once a month to get a good return on the investment."

Martyn Mayes, sales and marketing manager of Leisure Bench, thinks licensees should act now, install shelters and corner the market before their competitors. "The experience in Ireland shows that pubs without shelters lost business to those that had them. Whatever they did afterwards didn't make any difference and that is why so many closed."

Leisure Bench offers shelters ranging from one that can accommodate seven to nine people for £1,200, up to £1,900 for a shelter covering 16 to 18 people. The prices do not include VAT, delivery, or erection, if required.