The part-time pub is on the increase, says research
Two decades after pubs first got the right to trade all day and just three years after the advent of 24-hour licensing, the part-time pub is rising again, research has revealed.
A survey of nearly 1,400 UK pubs, by market analyst CGA Strategy, showed that 9% are now closed on a Monday and Tuesday, with 8.5% also closing on a Wednesday.
Licensees, particularly those running community pubs in non-urban areas, are calculating that the trade available at non-peak times does not justify the opening costs, CGA said.
Phil Tate, head of insight at CGA Strategy, said the decision to close during early week trading is "not easy for any operator".
"Whilst keeping the doors closed and the lights off will certainly save money, there is the worry that this may damage long term survival prospects," he said.
"Passing custom may assume the venue is permanently shut or in trouble and therefore stay away from the venue on future nights out."
The survey also revealed that many pubs have ended experiments to open early for breakfast, while a number have changed closing time back to the traditional 11pm.
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By Daniel Thomas
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