Trade down at half of pubs in first year of smoking ban

Exclusive research has revealed that more than half of licensees have seen trade drop since the smoking ban was introduced throughout the UK.

July 1 is the anniversary of the ban being introduced in England and to mark the occasion The Publican​ commissioned CGA Strategy to quiz 1,500 licensees about their experiences over the last 12 months.

The exhaustive survey of a cross section of the industry reveals the real picture of the smoking ban on pubs.

Results show that while 52 per cent of licensees have reported a drop in trade in that time the majority pinpoint the credit crunch - rather than the smoking ban - as being the main reason for such a bleak year.

Meanwhile 38 per cent of respondents said sales remained the same and only 10 per cent said business was up.

A fifth of those who saw trade drop reported a fall of up to 30 per cent.

"No-one wants to stand outside in the cold and the rain," said one licensee who has seen sales plummet.

The smoking legislation was second out of the reasons for a fall in trade, followed by budget hikes on alcohol tax, the rising cost of raw materials and last summer's poor weather.

Of these, many had seen a drop off in business during the week and relied on weekends to carry them through.

Councils were also blamed for refusing permission for outdoor facilities.

For the minority that have seen sales increase, food was attributed as the main reason. The research also found that pubs that have stepped up their food offer have seen dry sales overtake wet.

Families also appear to be playing a part in helping some licensees weather the storm. One respondent said: "What we have lost in smokers we have gained in families."

And despite the doom and gloom, the licensees polled were looking forward to a good summer and some have already seen trade pick up due to better weather.

Nick Bish, chief executive of the Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers (ALMR), said although the results were expected it is important for the trade to "promote the positive". But he warned: "The things we have to look out for are issues such as noise and litter and also the anti-smoking brigade looking to push the ban out into the open air."