Hospitality Loses 4,600 Venues in 12 Months, But Closures Slow in Early 2023

Britain has suffered a net decline of 4,593 licensed premises in the last year to March 2023, the newHospitality Market Monitor from CGA by NIQ and AlixPar tners shows but the resilience of managed groups means the rate of closures has slowed in the last quarter

The drop is equivalent to 4 3% of the licensed sector since March 2022, and an average of 12 6closures a day However, net closures slowed to 756 venues in the first three months of this year a quar ter-on-quar ter drop of 0 7%, and equivalent to 8 4 closures a day

Independent businesses have borne the brunt of closures with a 5 9% drop in numbers over the last 12 months, while managed groups achieved growth of 1 5% and in the same period, including 0 3%in the first three months of 2023 In the three years since the star t of the COVID-19 pandemic , the independent sector has shrunk by 14 1% more than four times the contraction of 3 3% in the managed sector It reflects both the vulnerability of small, mostly family-run businesses in the face of COVID and the cost of living crisis, and the resilience of better resourced pub, bar, restaurant and hotel groups

THE REPORT SETS OUT MORE KEY TRENDS IN HOSPITALITY OPENINGS AND CLOSURES, INCLUDING:

– A much steeper drop in restaurants (down 7 8% since March 2022) than food pubs (down2 2%) and high street pubs (down 2 5%)

– A 30 6% contraction in the nightclub sector since March 2020

– A slowdown of spor ts and social club closures with numbers down 4 8% year-on-year but just 0 3% quar ter-on-quar ter

Karl Chessell CGA by NIQ’s director – hospitality operators and food EMEA said: “Each of the 4 593 closures over the last 12 months represents a sad loss of jobs and the permanent withdrawal of a community asset It is at least encouraging that losses have slowed in the first few months of the year a welcome indicator that demand for hospitality remains strong However, the recent cut in government suppor t on energ y bills, alongside a hike in minimum wage rates and the ongoing tax burden, now leaves thousands more fragile venues at risk of closure

Hospitality has shown how, with the right backing, it can generate jobs and fire the economy but sustained help is needed to tide the sector through the current crisis ”

Graeme Smith, AlixPar tners’ managing director, said: “While the number of pubs, restaurants and other licensed venues continues to contract in UK hospitality, there is some positivity in this latest analysis of the market, given that the overall cadence or rate of decline has slowed significantly

“Underpinning this is the fact that the rate of closures in all major cities is reducing as COVID-19 concerns subside and workers and tourists steadily return to urban centres – even to a degree , on Mondays This stabilising picture extends to London – the largest leisure market, which was most affected by COVID-19– and it’s clear that many of Britain’s city centres are returning to something comparable to their pre-covid vibrancy

“Tellingly, this latest study underlines the growing divide between larger and smaller operators, reflecting the varied ability to withstand the continued headwinds the sector faces The closure rate of independent businesses – the lifeblood and entrepreneurial driving force of the sector – continues to vastly outstrip the better-funded corporates and the branded operators It highlights the need for government suppor t to be extended especially on energ y costs if small (often family-owned) businesses are to sur vive

“On a 12-month view the number of closures is still ver y significant A statistic homing into view is that by the end of the year, the total number of licensed venues is likely to fall below 100,000 for the first time in many decades It reflects approximately 13,000 closures since March 2020, and the many thousands of pubs that have shut in the decades prior

“This is a trend that speaks to the relative shift from high-frequency drinking occasions, which have in par t made way for the growth in (less frequent, higher spend) dining-led visits, and the rise , in recent times, of (less frequent, higher spend) competitive socialising occasions ”

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