ALMR: Drink sales down 3.6%
Drink sales were down 3.6% over the festive period but food sales increased by 3.6%, according to a survey of Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers (ALMR) members.
The figures are slightly less than the drop in beer volumes reported by the British Beer and Pub Association (9.7%) and AC Nielsen (6%) for November.
The ALMR asked 31 companies, representing 2467 outlets - nearly a quarter of the entire managed sector, to comment on like-for-like trading and their confidence for 2008.
Drink sales were almost "universally down" with community locals suffering the most.
Just under a third of companies reported a growth in drink sales and all but one of those had an estate of less than 50 outlets.
"Where companies are experiencing growth this is being reinforced by food sales," said ALMR chief executive Nick Bish.
"However, an obvious note of caution here is that this is Christmas trading and therefore a few good parties or one off events do produce a spike in the results."
Conversely, almost three-quarters of respondents reported an upsurge in food sales.
Of the 27% who reported a decline in food sales, all also reported a drop in drink sales and were largely community locals.
In total, 36% achieved an uplift in both drink and food sales and three-quarters of those had an estate of less than 20.
Consumer confidence
The smoking ban was blamed by 38.5% of respondents for the trading dip but 53% listed consumer confidence as the key contributing factor.
Well over half (57.5%) said the outlook for the first quarter was "gloomy" but 48% were "hopeful" for the year ahead.
Bish added: "The trading figures have to be put in context. They are against performance last year when Christmas and New Year dates fell well for the pub trade and resulted in a longer party period and some very good trading figures across the board.
"The eternal truths remain - that well invested pubs with food fared well. Those who got their act together, focused on Christmas and New Year came out better overall and everyone thinks it's going to get better."
