Based on leisure footprint catchments that compare the size of a market and the number of target workers within reasonable commuting distance, CACI has identified Birmingham and Glasgow as areas with both high spend – ranking 7th and 2nd respectively – as well as potential staff availability, with 222 and 169 per existing venue, respectively.
Brighton appears to have similarly low staff availability at 29, with only London’s Victoria ranking lower at 27 potential workers. Edinburgh, York, and Norwich have low availability as well.
London has six of the 25 best performing leisure destinations in the UK, with the West End, Covent Garden, and Victoria ranking 1st, 10th, and 17th in the UK for spend, respectively. However, the capital struggles with recruitment, with 40 or fewer potential staff available per existing venue in each of these areas, according to CACI.
Arabella Dalloz, Managing Consultant, Head of Leisure at CACI, said: “The UK economy has been put under immense pressure over the last few years, and while we’re in a much better position as a nation now, the job market has simply been unable to keep up with the returning demand to socialise and enjoy leisure.
“Across the sector, businesses are having to scrutinise locations in different ways, and consider the number of target workers that live within a commutable distance, before thinking about signing. Cities such as Birmingham, Glasgow, and Belfast have significant recruitment potential, so they will certainly be viewed favourably by expanding brands that are concerned about staffing.
“That said, we shouldn’t forget that the destinations with the lowest volume of potential staff do still have huge spend potential. No leisure brand is going to rule out locations like London, Brighton, and Edinburgh, but by showing staff availability in this research, we can give hospitality operators in particular a great understanding of the challenge faced in these locations.
“Whether looking to open a new venue, or find more staff for an existing one, they will need to consider who their target staff are, where they live, and how they can therefore attract them.”