Knock on effects-pubs-takeaways-taxis.

[mart]

As the price of beer has risen, people have stopped drinking in pubs as much. As a consequence of that, pubs have been closing and it is well documented. Often, after the pub it’s a taxi home (not to mention a takeaway maybe inbetween). Is it fair to say that as a consequence of the so called “duty escalator”, the taxi trade & private hire trades will be effected, and may well be feeling the effects already? Times that loss of income in Sheffield/Rotherham by however many cities there are in the UK and it’s also a big loss of government revenue.

 

Source FT.com“Beer duty rose by 7.2 per cent in the last Budget under the so-called duty escalator – introduced by Labour in 2008 – whereby tax on alcohol rises by a minimum of 2 per cent above inflation each year“.

[Vague_Boy]

As the price of beer has risen, people have stopped drinking in pubs as much.

 

The whole "going to the local pub" thing seems very much what my parent's generation might have done.

 

I've never frequented my "local". Why would I?

 

If I go for a drink with friends, we meet in a bar in town.

 

There always seems to be plenty of people in the various bars in town, and I would guess a lot of them get a cab home.

 

Plenty of places offering takeaways too, so business can't be all that bad.

 

Come to think of it, most local pubs are within walking distance (mine is 5 minutes away), so getting a cab from there would be ridiculous.

[mart]

Pub or bar-same thing in the context of what I`m referring to.

 

I note Weatherspoons have also considered cutting back on their expansion plans.

[*_ash_*]

As the price of beer has risen, people have stopped drinking in pubs as much. As a consequence of that, pubs have been closing and it is well documented. Often, after the pub it’s a taxi home (not to mention a takeaway maybe inbetween). Is it fair to say that as a consequence of the so called “duty escalator”, the taxi trade & private hire trades will be effected, and may well be feeling the effects already? Times that loss of income in Sheffield/Rotherham by however many cities there are in the UK and it’s also a big loss of government revenue.

 

Source FT.com“Beer duty rose by 7.2 per cent in the last Budget under the so-called duty escalator – introduced by Labour in 2008 – whereby tax on alcohol rises by a minimum of 2 per cent above inflation each year“.

 

You seem to be basing everything in your post on this first line. I don't think it highlights the actual reason for less [local] pub use. Comparatively speaking it's not much more expensive than it ever has been in the last 20 years to buy a pint in the the pub either. (using wages to compare the prices).

 

Home entertainment; internet/communications; better heating in houses; etc. These all contribute to less pub use.

[Bruno]

Yes the Local pub is suffering, which is a shame, at one time of day it was cheaper to drink locally rather than in town, however nowadays its the opposit.

 

Those who say, why should I drink in my local, imjustmmeet my mates in town, will at some stage in their life think, it's a shame there is no local pub to go to over the Xmas period.

 

Sounds dramatic but its true, but has been said many times before, technology has played a massive part on people's drinking habits.

 

There's a good 7 years of youngsters who have probably spent most of their late teens on gaming machines or on-line, or if out, probably spent with 4 other mates driving around and sitting in MacDonalds car park, where in my generation we went to the pub, same as if it were crap on the telly most went out to the pub, but nowadays you can watch what you want when you want.

 

NYE is another one, the turning point that springs to my mind was the Millenium, there was that much hype about Taxis costing a fortune, Hotels charging ridiculous prices, and Local Pubs charging fees to get in, that a lot of people took to buying gazebo's and having house parties.

 

Its a shame because in a few years time a local pub will start to become a thing of the past.

[anywebsite]

If it's all duty then why does beer often cost up to 50% more in a local estate pub for worse quality beer than in a good free house.

 

Local pubs can't survive because the companies that run them have been running them into the ground for 10 years. They seem to think the same formula that made money in the 80s will still work now.

[*_ash_*]

If it's all duty then why does beer often cost up to 50% more in a local estate pub for worse quality beer than in a good free house.

 

Local pubs can't survive because the companies that run them have been running them into the ground for 10 years. They seem to think the same formula that made money in the 80s will still work now.

 

Do you think [like the OP] that price is the main factor?

 

It could be, I just don't think it is.

 

If beer was the same/similar price in the pub as the offy/supermarket, I wouldn't go [much] more often into pubs. I think a few would, but not enough to have ceased the widespread loss of pubs.

[anywebsite]

Do you think [like the OP] that price is the main factor?

 

It could be, I just don't think it is.

 

If beer was the same/similar price in the pub as the offy/supermarket, I wouldn't go [much] more often into pubs. I think a few would, but not enough to have ceased the widespread loss of pubs.

 

It's not the main factor, but it's certainly one.

 

If a pub is expensive & has nothing else going for it at all, like most of the closed estate pubs were, then why should we support them?

 

The big commercial brands of beer have been made gradually worse over the years to cut costs for the brewers, but it's been made more expensive for consumers too. Then there are smaller local brewers that care about the quality of their beer charging less for it, but the typical estate pub can't sell that beer, they need to buy the expensive crap because it's what the company that owns it has a deal on.

 

The only other thing they have to attract customers is a fruit machine.

[*_ash_*]

It's not the main factor, but it's certainly one.

 

If a pub is expensive & has nothing else going for it at all, like most of the closed estate pubs were, then why should we support them?

 

I don't think they are much more expensive.

 

I tend to work things out in terms of wage/hour. When I was 16-18 a gallon of fuel was about an hour + a bit wages*, same with cigs. A pint was about just over half hours wage.

 

It's not much different now (20+ years later)

 

*based on approx equivalent to current NMW

[chem1st]

Pub or bar-same thing in the context of what I`m referring to.

 

I note Weatherspoons have also considered cutting back on their expansion plans.

 

As of the middle of October, Wetherspoons are under a one year boycott by me and my kin.