Report Buyer, the online destination for business intelligence for major industry sectors, has added a new report analysing the UK public houses market.

Public Houses:Market Report Plus 2008 reports that while the scale of the predicted economic downturn is currently unclear, consumer confidence is falling steeply, as are sales of beer in pubs.

These trends, along with the full effects of the smoking ban having yet to be measured, have led authors to forecast a further decline in pub turnover in 2008, similar to the decline seen in 2007.

The report shows that in the face of these declines, the pub market remains a vast one with an estimated value of £16 billion in 2007 (a 1.5% decline in value from 2006). Perhaps the most notable feature of the market is the survival of so many traditional venues for eating and drinking – there are around 57,500 pubs across the UK.  Recent market trends such as the emergence of the ‘gastro pub’ and the continuing segmentation of pubs may well have aided their endurance.

Authors of the report note that while the demand for pubs and their services have remained fairly stable, factors such as the erosion of the brewery tie makes it harder for some pubs to justify their existence, and much of the heavy ‘session’ drinking has shifted from pubs to the home. The increase in sales of take-home alcohol has affected demand for drinking in pubs, particularly as there is a growing differential between supermarket and pub prices.

The report predicts a downturn in pub sales for the next two years, followed by a modest improvement between 2010 and 2012.  Beyond 2009, a moderate recovery is predicted for the industry as pubs continue to adapt to new consumer demands (e.g. for food, wines and live entertainment) and to various government restrictions.

Public Houses: Market Report Plus 2008

Report Buyer product ID: KEY00016

Report Buyer Category: Leisure & Media