Off-trade is still a thorn in the side of pubs
Published:
02 August, 2011
Pubs are closing at the rate of 25 a week, with off-trade competition blamed for much of the sector’s woes.
But the latest survey by Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels found that the biggest concern for pub operators is the fall in disposable income, with 34% of respondents citing this as the major issue.
Twenty-five per cent of respondents said competition from shops and supermarkets, offering cheaper drinks for home consumption, was the number one bugbear.
Forty-five per cent of pub operators say sales fell over the past year. The survey described the medium-term outlook as positive, despite the current challenging conditions, especially in London and the south east.
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