One in three young Brits can’t afford a night out
New research has found that 68% of young people in the UK say economic conditions have reduced how often they go out.
The Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) partnered with Obsurvant to create The Quarterly Consumer Tracker.
The report found that among those with a personal income of less than £30,000 (US$40,000), just under a third said that tickets and in-venue purchases are unaffordable.
However, most respondents (61%) said tickets were affordable, while another 52% found in-venue purchases to be so. Those metrics were inflated by those in higher income groups.
Meanwhile, 53% said they are spending less on nightlife than a year ago.
When asked if there are enough low-cost options in the night-time industry, 33% disagreed and 25% were neutral. Another 41% agreed, however this group was again more reflective of higher earners.
Only 34% of those in the lowest income bracket agreed there were enough low-cost options.
The survey also questioned whether night-time venues are generally affordable, with just under one in three (27%) disagreeing. Another 26% felt neutral, while 47% agreed.
One middle-aged respondent in the mid-income bracket said: “The ridiculous prices of drinks and the overall cost of living situation in this country has made going out all but impossible. Even small, local events are inaccessible, never mind going to a large city for a big show.”
Despite issues with pricing, respondents remained positive about the on-trade and remained supportive of the industry. Only 29% said the government is supporting the night-time sector “very” or “fairly” well, with 36% stating the opposite.
One respondent said: “The pubs are paying too much tax that they have to pass on to the customer. It’s becoming unaffordable.”
An occasional luxury
The NTIA argues that the report proves that what was once a regular part of life is increasingly becoming an occasional luxury.
Despite the negative view on pricing, overall satisfaction with event attendance is high, with the proportion of respondents who were “somewhat” or “very’ satisfied totalling 57%. However, this represented a fall on the previous quarter, when 63% reported being satisfied.
There was also an income gap in these responses, with those on an income of £100,000 (US$136,000) or more nearly twice as likely to be “very satisfied” as someone on an income of less than £29,999.
Michael Kill, CEO of the NTIA, added: “This report completely debunks the myth that young people don’t want to go out. Demand is clearly there; what’s disappearing is affordability. Young people are under huge pressure from the cost of daily living, while rising costs and taxation are driving up the price of a night out, not through a drive to increase profit or greed, but purely to keep businesses afloat.
“They are cutting back not by choice, but by necessity. At the same time, many feel politics doesn’t speak their language or reflect what matters to them. If this continues, we risk alienating a generation and undermining the future of our sector.”
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