Total spending across bars, pubs and clubs declined 1.5% year on year, reflecting a wider shift in behaviour among younger adults and a sustained focus on health, moderation and cost control.
Eating and drinking spend as a whole fell 1.1%, while takeaways and fast food were down 1.3%.
Barclays said November’s overall consumer card spending fell 1.1%, the sharpest drop since February 2021, with both essential and non-essential categories in decline.
Conscious consumption
The report highlighted notable pull back among 18- to 34-year-olds, with 51% saying they have gone on fewer nights out in 2025 and 42% opting for more low and no alcohol drinks in recent months.
Nearly half (48%) said they now prefer socialising in ways that support health and wellbeing.
Looking ahead to Christmas, 48% of 18- to 34-year-olds expect to drink less than usual, compared to 38% of all adults, with 27% citing cost as the primary reason.
Rising awareness of ‘drinkflation’ is also influencing decisions, as 37% of consumers say they have noticed alcoholic drinks becoming smaller or lower in alcohol while costing the same or more, up from 22% last year.
The findings come amid broader pressure on confidence. Household finances confidence rose only marginally to 64%, still well below the 2025 average of 70%. Confidence in the UK economy remained flat at 22%.
‘Uncertainty’
Barclays head of retail Karen Johnson said: “November was a month marked by uncertainty, as consumers were awaiting seasonal discounts and the details of the Autumn Budget. Retailers will have welcomed the Black Friday boost they received, which will hopefully set the tone in the run up to Christmas.”
Barclays chief UK economist Jack Meaning added: “Even with a boost from Black Friday, consumer spending remained muted as we moved through the final quarter of the year. 2025 has been defined by this economic deceleration.
“The question remains as to whether easing interest rates and falling inflation can offset this trend and spur a rebound in consumer spending, or whether tightening fiscal policy and continued uncertainty will see the malaise continue in 2026.”
