Home Politics & Debate
If you need urgent support, call 999 or go to your nearest A&E. To contact our Crisis Messenger (open 24/7) text THEMIX to 85258.
Read the community guidelines before posting ✨

Pub beer sales lowest in 75 years. I wonder why...

Beer sales in pubs have slumped to their lowest level since the 1930s, brewery representatives have said.
The British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) says total beer sales for 2007 are down 22% - some seven million pints a day fewer than their peak in 1979.

Since then there has been a 49% drop in pub sales, which has been partly offset by an increase in purchases from shops.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7102937.stm

Inexplicable. Can't really see how this could have happened.

Has anyone got any theories, however wild they might be? :chin:
Beep boop. I'm a bot.
«1

Comments

  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    i havent been out drinking once this month...maybe thats it.

    no of course its not that, its this daft smoking ban. For example take my town Burnley, friday and saturdays used to be jam packed, now its desolate, theres hardly anyone around compared to what it used to be.

    say 12 months ago if me and my buddies were going out, there would easily be a group of 10 or more, now its lucky if theres 2 or 3 people going out.

    its shite.

    BRING BACK SMOKING!!
  • Teh_GerbilTeh_Gerbil Posts: 13,332 Born on Earth, Raised by The Mix
    Yeah. Half the pubs have fuck all people in now, it's stupid. Whilst they have (most, only Spoons hasn't) built little shed type areas with heated lamps, it is still cold, and not what you go out for. One local pub does allow smoking still, but it is a local pub. With only locals.

    This is daft. Pubs are crap now.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    there are a still few pubs that allow smoking on the sly, but like you say, local pubs.

    in town people just smoke in the street and it looks well scruffy to be honest, it doesnt put me off tho, i'll still go out for a fag, altho probably less than i did previously.

    i think if they had asked most pubs they wouldnt have been up for the smoking ban, except maybe spoons, but its crap anyway
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Gotta say - I really do go out a lot less now. One of the big things for me was the chance to sit indoors and have a fag with beer after work. Just doesn't seem any point now - just seems to be drinking for the sake of it when I could have a fag and some nice grub at home. Mind you, that's just me.

    Sure there may be plenty of peeople who now go to the pub lots more because there isn't any smoke.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    From a Social point of view, we had a club and consumption culture in the 1990s that was quite profitable which is starting to wane, but also there are more entertainment and consumption opportunities in the home now than there ever were before.

    There is a suspicion in some Urban centres that the increase in communiting to work leaves people loathe to go out when they get home from work, for reasons of time, tiredness etc.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Jim V wrote: »
    Sure there may be plenty of peeople who now go to the pub lots more because there isn't any smoke.

    I'm inclined to think this isnt true, granted smokers are in the minority in the general population, but are they in the minority when it comes to those who want to drink in pubs on a Friday night?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I couldn't possibly comment ;)
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Not being able to have a ciggie in the pub feels a bit like - i'd imagine - going out for a meal and not being allowed a bottle of wine.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    part of the propaganda when they were implementing this was all these people who were suddenly going to start going to pubs now the smoking ban was in but it just hasnt happened, i cant see how people are possibly gonna start going to pubs just because people arnt smoking anymore.

    has the government made a mistake? probably

    are they going to change it? not a chance

    what i dont understand is why cant a pub choose to be a designated smoking pub and therefore people who dont want to go in a smokey tavern then they have the choice. this leads to staffing issues, but it would be down to choice, they wouldnt have to work there if they didnt want, they could sign some kind of waiver.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I think the smoking relevant part of the report is this -


    The BBPA also said the smoking ban had had an effect, with a 7% drop in pub beer sales this year alone.

    "The smoking ban is reducing sales of beer in pubs and will continue to do so," said a spokesman.


    Oh and worth remembering this is a study of beer sales - not alcohol sales as a whole, be interesting to see what the percentage change in alcohol sales has been since the smoking ban.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Jim V wrote: »
    Oh and worth remembering this is a study of beer sales - not alcohol sales as a whole, be interesting to see what the percentage change in alcohol sales has been since the smoking ban.

    Since then there has been a 49% drop in pub sales, which has been partly offset by an increase in purchases from shops.

    Shops have increased, but not enough to offset the fall in pubs
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Maybe if it didn't cost nearly £3 a pint more people would drink in pubs perhaps?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    budda wrote: »
    I'm inclined to think this isnt true, granted smokers are in the minority in the general population, but are they in the minority when it comes to those who want to drink in pubs on a Friday night?

    Exactly.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Whowhere wrote: »
    Maybe if it didn't cost nearly £3 a pint more people would drink in pubs perhaps?

    not always the case tho, you can easily get a pint for less than £2 in many many pubs here. £2.50 usually is top end.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Send Kermit, JsT, Yerascrote, Skive, Koe_182, (and his missus, I know she likes a drink! :p) and Jim V into every pub in the country for one night. Sales will suddenly rocket once more. ;)
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Whowhere wrote: »
    Maybe if it didn't cost nearly £3 a pint more people would drink in pubs perhaps?

    Exactly - I drink spirits, and around my end you are super-lucky if you can pick up a double for a fiver. Most places are around the £7 for a double + mixer and upwards.

    With not working for a while now, I've just not had the £££ to be blowing £40 on a round of 6 drinks hence have been avoiding the pubs/clubs.

    I've not noticed much of a change in the number of people in the pubs when I have been in, but I can just think of better things to do with my money than pay those prices.

    I will add that I am still thankful of the smoking ban when I do go out (I still do at least once or twice a week).
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Shops have increased, but not enough to offset the fall in pubs

    Yeah - but even that is still talking about the sales of beers - since that's what all the stats are about. I'm more interested in a comment about the rise in people drinking wine - it's probably not enough to make an overall difference but I'd still like to see the stats.

    Oh, and alcopops as well, which obviously didn't exist at all in '79
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Jim V wrote: »
    Yeah - but even that is still talking about the sales of beers - since that's what all the stats are about. I'm more interested in a comment about the rise in people drinking wine - it's probably not enough to make an overall difference but I'd still like to see the stats.

    Oh, and alcopops as well, which obviously didn't exist at all in '79

    Yeah - these must have an impact.

    Wine drinking is far more common now, and also, people tend to drink wine at a different rate to beer. Most people I know just throw the beer back, whereas wine drinking is a little slower paced.

    I think spirits are drunk a lot more now as well as it's seen less in the 'hard liqour' sense...
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Perhaps it is something to do with the debt culture we have now... Or maybe that we are working more hours and different hours.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Aladdin wrote: »
    Has anyone got any theories, however wild they might be? :chin:

    Global Warming you bastard! *shakes fist angrily*
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Lies, damn lies and statistics.

    Would be interesting to see what pub/club total sales are now compared to then.

    Back in the day:
    Beer was the main thing people drank when they went out.
    People mainly drank aforementioned beer in pubs
    Drink driving was relatively common.

    Now:
    All sorts gets drunk, far more spirits, wine and alcopops
    This is spread across wine bars, clubs and pubs
    Drink driving is much more rare.

    Based on those details, I'd be far more surprised if beer sales in pubs hadn't dropped significantly.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Jim V wrote: »
    Yeah - but even that is still talking about the sales of beers - since that's what all the stats are about. I'm more interested in a comment about the rise in people drinking wine - it's probably not enough to make an overall difference but I'd still like to see the stats.

    Oh, and alcopops as well, which obviously didn't exist at all in '79

    I see what you mean. I suspect more people drink wine at home (though this is purely anecdotal and may be biased by me being middle-class)
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Still - the 7% drop in beer sales since the ban does point towards a dramatic change overall in the last year.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Well duh! Now that there's no smoking, people can actually TASTE beer and have finally discovered how gross it is.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Or in some cases, how bad the smell of sweat and stale beer-soaked carpet is, now there is no longer any cigarette smoke to mask it.

    While most businesses will manage a few will be affected to the point of closure in the mid/long term. It is certainly a far cry from the promises and fancy stories by the anti-smoking lobby of increased revenue and waves of new pub customers coming in to enjoy the new environment.

    Indeed, you have to wonder if many of the most vocal anti-smoking campaigners actually like the concept of the pub (smoke free or not). They're probably think pubs are too common or vulgar for them and wouldn't be seen dead in one, though still they felt the need to campaign for a total ban on smoking to dictate what the populace can or cannot do in such ghastly places.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    One thing i can say is that when i was a barman i used to choke on the amount of smoke and found that it affected me noticably. My girlfriend used to get breathing problems and aggrivated asthma when she went clubbing too, so positive effects of a smoking ban are being felt for people who go out drinking too.

    Woo, never heard that argument before! :razz:
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I suspect it has far more to do with cheap off-licences, cheap supermarkets, and the fact that most bars seem to think it acceptable to call fucking Carling a premium beer and charge three quid a pint for it.

    It also shows a growing trend towards consumption of other alcohol- wine and spirit mixers in particular.

    I'd be interested to see what the turnover difference is for the pubs. I suspect it will be roughly the same; if it was 10% lower, the BBBA would have said so.

    There are lies, damn lies, and statistics. The fact that the BBBA have highlighted this statistic, rather than statistics on turnover or profit, indicates to me that the licenced trade is booming, just not on beer.

    Either way, I couldn't give a fuck. Good pubs that serve good beer will thrive (I still can't get in the door of the Newcastle Arms on a Friday night); those that serve Foster's at £3.50 a pint will quite rightly fold.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Kermit wrote: »
    Good pubs that serve good beer will thrive ...
    oxymoron, surely?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Depends.

    I'm quite partial to a pint of Coffee Porter.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    katralla wrote: »
    oxymoron, surely?

    He's a bit of a prick, but I wouldnt go that far ;)
Sign In or Register to comment.