What you need to know
Estimated at just under £25 billion in 2018, pub industry revenues grew by 11% over 2013-18 despite falling numbers of pubs nationwide. Total pub turnover rose by 4.1% in 2018 due to the long hot summer boosting visits. Total pub revenues are projected to rise by 8% to just below £27 billion by 2023, hampered by the ageing UK population and alcohol moderation trend.
Nine in 10 UK adults visit pubs/bars, though for most people this is only an occasional activity. 18-34s are more frequent visitors than older cohorts. The market is strongly price-led, leaving the sector exposed should there be a return to income squeeze in future years. There is scope for pubs/bars to explore technological innovations given consumer openness to these. Local sourcing is a promising area for pubs/bars to explore given the high consumer demand. There is also scope to play on the idea of the pub as a pillar of the local community.
Products covered in this Report
This Report examines the market for pub visiting, with the primary focus on drinking in pubs/bars. A separate Mintel Report, Pub Catering – UK, May 2019, looks at the role of food in pubs in more detail. The market size in this Report refers to pub sales of food, alcohol, soft drinks and other items such as from snacks and vending machines.
The market size includes pubs and bars with on-trade licences to serve alcoholic drink for consumption on the premises. However, it excludes other outlets which may have been granted these licences, such as hotels or cinemas, but whose primary business activity is not the serving of drinks/food. Restaurants are also excluded.
