Back to Basics: Female-friendly pubs
So now it's men whose place is in the kitchen - and not just round Jamie Oliver's house. A survey by the Orchid Group, timed to coincide with International Women's Day, shows that 54 per cent of male pub-goers living in mixed-sex households do the cooking - except when it comes to baking, which retains its feminine mystery.
All good fun, of course, but for the 21st century licensee there is a serious message here. To survive and thrive in the coming months and years, pubs need to expand their customer base. While there's probably still a place for a minority of male-dominated boozers, for most pubs women are an increasingly important market.Lighter users
Orchid is one company that's deliberately set out to attract women, right across its estate. Commercial director Simon Dodd is blunt about it. "The core segment of the pub trade, men who'll come in and drink three or four pints at a time, is dying," he says. "We need to attract the lighter user, including women.
"That's why our pubs always have a focus on food, coffee and wine. They are the three pillars of our business."Becoming female-friendly extends beyond the mix of products you sell and promote, though. Somehow you have got to create the kind of environment in which women feel comfortable.
Orchid's survey also asked what customers noticed when they walked into a pub. While the men checked out the beer and the television the women came up with subtleties like colour-schemes, mood, details such as flowers on the bar, the type of music playing… and smells.
Women were also revealed to be more adventurous, choosing mango and mozzarella while men plumped for cheese and beef. So Orchid's Dragon concept - a pub with a Thai restaurant - has soft furnishings, candles and cosy, lounge-style seating plus set menus aimed at the 'girls' night out' and providing little tasters of a broad range of dishes. Even the group's Independent Local community pubs look to create female appeal with an extensive range of wines, free wi-fi and Fairtrade coffees.
Design is key and "décor is akin to what people might have in their homes," explains Simon. "The back-bar is important, too. It shouldn't be full of RTDs and beers. We've taken fruit beer Fruli in a number of pubs and it seems to be working. We have also been experimenting with aroma machines in a few sites. We've gone through a range starting with caramel and coffee aromas and we're now trying more herbal, 'Radoxy' smells. Feedback has been positive."
10 female-friendly touches found in Orchid's pubs
1 Clear signage to tell people what the pub offers - but no garish colours
2 Light and airy, tidy and clean interior
3 Enough seats for large groups of people to share tables
4 Free wi-fi - it's important to provide women with something to do when they're on their own
5 Digital SWPs/AWPs which appeal to women because they are more interactive
6 Fresh Fairtrade coffee - and staff trained to make it. Some Orchid pubs have gone from zero to 500 cups per week
7 An extensive range of wines - rosé is currently 25% of the sales mix
8 Deli counters
9 Lighter dishes and snacks
10 Aroma machines
Gemma Teed writes:
If you're looking to attract more female customers you need to take a step back and see your business through their eyes. All Bar One is a great example of a brand that has really cracked this - large glass windows allow women to see the venue is safe and welcoming before they even cross the threshold.
Once inside, there are newspapers so you don't have to sit looking vulnerable while you wait for someone, unobtrusive music, handbag hooks under tables for security, a great range of wines and clear signage and ordering points.
Crucially, its loos are normally excellent too - and you'd be surprised how many women judge an outlet on the strength of its toilets. Make sure yours are clean and fresh with well-lit mirrors and a shelf below to put handbags.
At the bar women might be more adventurous, but research suggests it's the men who order the drinks. So if you want to influence decision-making it needs to happen at the tables.
Table-talkers are a great way of introducing a new or unusual drink and persuading your female customers to try something new. Chalkboards also work well - research shows customers trust them above other signage in the pub.
Gemma Teed is a strategic planner at marketing communications agency Brahm
