It's still about the economy. Stupid
The summer is fast becoming little more than a distant memory in the minds of pub operators. It won't be long before the industry's attention inevitably turns to the most profitable period in the licensed trade's calendar, namely Christmas.
It might even prove to be a Joyous Noël for more pubs this time round than last year, if the economic ball-gazers are proved correct. Certainly weighing up comparable figures might make life a bit easier for those expected to produce half decent numbers, Christmas 2008 coming as it did slap bang in the middle of the biggest financial squeeze anyone under the age of 40 has witnessed.
Assuming that Messrs Brown and Darling are on the money with their forecast that the UK will be through the worst of the economic downturn by the end of 2009 - and we all believe the Dynamic Duo after all, don't we? - then combined with tougher comps we might indeed see an uplift in takings by the end of calendar 2009.
Whether this can translate into profitability, thanks to what a growing number regard as inflationary pigeons coming home to roost, remains to be seen. Plus there's the return to the full rate of VAT in January to put the consumer in a really good mood. Not.
Meanwhile, against a backdrop of an economy labouring under the weight of a recession, people have been stressing the need for pubs to provide better standards of service if hard-pressed punters are to be expected to part with their highly valued spare cash.
But it's not only about 'standards'. It's about pubs being more hospitable places to visit.
No amount of deal-making or multi-million pound capex programmes can replace the benefits brought to a pub by a licensee and his/her staff who know how to make the pub-going public feel welcome. Can it?
