Pub, bar and restaurant visits rise but 'Generation Y' eat and drink out less

The business advisory firm discovered UK consumers are now going out 20.4 times a month, up 3.1 per cent from six months ago when the monthly average was 19.8 visits.

However the survey, produced with market research firm BDRC Continental, also found London had suffered a blip in the past half a year and so-called 'Generation Y' consumers (18-34-year-olds) actually went out less.

Deloitte conducts a survey of around 3,000 British adults twice a year to explore eating and drinking out habits - six months ago, the report suggested it was now 'lifestyle' for young people to head out to eat and drink.​ 

However today the survey showed that although that group of people was still the leading demographic for going out, 'Generation Y' consumers reduced the number of times they went out by 3.7 per cent.

Slowdown offset​

Today's report marks the first time since Deloitte launched the survey that there has been a decline in going-out activity among 18-34-year-olds. 

There was also a big drop in the average number of times consumers in the capital went out, down 9 per cent to an average of just 25.7 visits in the last six months.

However Jon Lake, a corporate finance director in the licensed retail group at Deloitte, said the slowdown among 'Generation Y' consumers and those in the capital had been offset by growth elsewhere.

"Despite the cautious mood, and a period containing numerous activities, including the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and the Diamond Jubilee weekend, consumers across the UK have continued to go out more often.

"The slowdown in the capital over the past six months can almost certainly be attributed to these one-off factors and unseasonably wet weather," he added.

Female consumers and people in the Midlands and the south west helped drive the increase in going out. In the six months to October, the frequency of visits to pubs rose as did the number of people going out for a coffee or sandwich or to visit quick-service outlets. 

Other findings in the Deloitte Taste of the Nation Autumn 2012 survey include: ​

• Consumers in the Midlands went out 21 times a month on average. Those in the south west went out for 18 occasions each month.
• The proportion of frequent casual diners in London is set to increase over the next six months.
• Women are going out 17.9 times a month on average. Men are still going out more often at 22.9 times a month, however this is 6 per cent less than in the spring.
• All areas of the market, except quick service and casual dining, saw a growth in average spend per visit.
• Consumers now spend, on average, £12.09 each time they visit a pub, £13.17 in a casual dining establishment and £25.65 in a formal dining restaurant - a jump in the latter of £2.80 per visit.
• Consumers are predicting an 8 per cent reduction in going out over the festive season although 'Generation Y' is planning to go out 8 per cent more compared to last year.

Looking ahead to the next six months, Deloitte's survey suggests a stable eating and drinking out market with respondents predicting just a small 0.5 per cent decline in expected visits.

"The slow return of consumer confidence is reflected in the gentle, yet constant, pace of growth in the eating and drinking out market.  However, that confidence remains fragile," Ben Perkins, head of consumer business research at Deloitte, said.

"As such, growth over the coming period is expected to be steady rather than spectacular," he concluded.

The survey takes into consideration every time all the surveyed consumers purchase drink or food from a pub, bar, coffee or sandwich shop, fast food outlet, restaurant or club - whether to eat in or take away.