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Smoke ban hits wet sales in bars
19 September, 2007
Theme survey shows a third of style bars reporting a drop in sales
Wet sales have fallen in a third of style bars since the smoking ban, a survey by The Publican’s sister magazine Theme has revealed.
The worrying figures – one of the biggest surveys since the ban took effect – show the bar sector is suffering heavily under the legislation, while the story could be even worse for pubs.
More than 1,000 representatives from the bar sector responded to Theme’s survey conducted six weeks after the ban. Twenty three per cent said wet sales were down between one and 15 per cent.
Six per cent said wet sales had slid between 15 and 25 per cent, while four per cent revealed wet sales had dropped off more than a quarter.
Nearly a third described the ban as having a minor negative impact on their business and a further six per cent said it had had a major negative impact. A fifth said they believed the post-ban trading environment was a long-term trend.
Mark Brumby, an analyst at Blue Oar Securities, said the findings were worse than his industry-wide forecast – which included pubs – of a drop in revenue of between three and five per cent.
Prior to the ban he predicted style bars would perform better than traditional pubs, as customers choose to go to these types of venues for different reasons than pubs. “Customers have stayed away,” he said. “It’s bad rather than good and that’s a fact.”
However, he warned the short term could have skewed the results – and forecast that the industry would take 18 months to recover from a post-ban dip in revenues of three per cent.
The report also revealed that bartenders feel exploited and believe they could be better off working in a junior position in a pub than taking on more responsibility, the Theme Industry report has revealed.
More than half of bar and restaurant workers earn less than £25,000 per year, the survey also showed.
Twelve per cent earn between £12,000 and £15,000, 18 per cent take home between £16,000 and £20,000 and 21 per cent earn between £21,000 and £25,000.
Readers' comments
In the USA the smoking ban has been a disaster for small independent food and beverage operators. We are safe from second hand smoke but not illegal hand guns which are epidemic in our society. Our priorities are driven by politically correct busy bodies who embrace illogical positions that compromise our freedoms while thousands of citizens are murdered by armed criminals and our government protects their availability to buy guns on the street. A city in America can vote for stricter smoking bans but can not alter their laws regarding illegal hand guns, they are controlled by the Federal Government and the great amount of money donated to candidates by pro gun lobbysts. Common sense is the most uncommon sense for a politican.
Absolutely right, everybody. I am a smoker, and used to go out a lot, but I refuse tot go to places where I cannot smoke. So that's everywhere, then! In the summer, you can sit outside, but why should I shiver in the dark, cold and wet? Why should anyone? ALL smokers need to get together on this. I feel sorry for the bar-owners, because it is not their doing, but I feel sorrier for smokers. They are treated like lepers. An article made me smile the other day. It said that before July 1, polls said non-smokers were "more likely to go to pubs where smoking was banned." It want on - "but unfortunately we have yet to see evidence of this." The fact is, MANY drinkers are also smokers, and vice versa. What's the winter going to be like?
Sorry Andrew, you and everybody else know why pubs and clubs were not given the chose. Few would use the non-smoking venues. Some so called 'experts' said that because the ban has worked in other countries, it would work in England. I have news for those 'experts', we are not any other country, we have a different drinking culture to other countries.
How much will they get when they are on the dole? The antis are in the minority, have you only just realised? They were never going to fill all the venues. Winter is nearing already, and it will be the winter of discontent for many workers who have had their smoking rooms taking away from them, in all industry. An unhappy workforce does not give their best performance. You cannot treat smokers like second class citizens and expect first class results. A blanket ban was NOT, wanted by the majority If you think this ban is wrong and you would like a voice, Please go to www.freedom2choose.info/ WE NEED TO FIGHT THIS TOGETHER http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/PublicSmokeRoom/ We need to get this ban amended to include ventilation,
It is good to see a trade publication circulating the real effect of the smoking ban. The recent report by CAMRA (widely circulated) just proves that they are still as dysfunctional as ever. Any organisation that bases their policy on a survey that said 43% of smokers drink lager does not deserve a wider audience, My concern is about the many small pubs in Central London that do not have the ability to provide an external smoking facility. Many do not have the space to be able to provide any shelter at all. These pubs will be affected more than anyone and many must be at risk of closure. The landlord of my local pub has resigned and has given the smoking ban as one of the main reasons for doing so. The smoking ban will result in the number of pubs closing in Central London accelerating with the consequential reduction in variety. There is a genuine place in the market for large, theme or chain pubs, but they are not to everyone's liking. The ban could result in there being little choice apart from them. We have the most restrictive smoking ban in Europe and the definition of a legal smoking area makes them next to useless. I support smoking restrictions but think the current laws are too restrictive. The UK is supposed to be a democracy, but the smoking ban proves this is not the case. 20 to 25% of the adult population smoke and the proportion of pub regulars who smoke is probably higher than this. I have yet to see any evidence of a mass return to pubs by non-smokers. Even CAMRA are still waiting for them. “Millions of people set to return to pubs after the smoking ban” I do not want to be able to smoke in every pub, club or restaurant that I visit, but it would be nice to have the option of doing so in some locations. I don't care if they have to put a skull and crossbones sign outside the smoking area. At least it will get the message across. It will need a concerted campaign to get the smoking ban amended to give the pub landlords and customers the opportunity to allow smoking in their pubs. Many will choose not to do so but a significant number would like the ability to choose. Many landlords have invested heavily in their properties but their investment is at risk with no chance of any compensation. Andrew