Average night out spend increases by the price of three pints

The £11.16 increase revealed in Deltic’s survey of a nationally representative 2,305 people is roughly the equivalent of three pints of lager bought for £3.67 – the average price of a pint​ in the UK according to the Office for National Statistics.

What’s more, the additional spend over the past year equates to three measures of premium gin​ or vodka​ purchased at average on-trade prices according to CGA Insight.

While late-night consumers are spending significantly more than this time last year, the number who venture out at least once a week fell slightly from 56.3% to 55.2% – although this figure rises to almost three quarters (73%) among 18 to 30-year-olds. 

The operator of 53 bars and clubs across the UK also found that the length of an average night out had changed very little over the past 12 months, remaining flat at about the four-and-a-half-hour mark.

Dip in late-night pub visits

Disappointingly for operators, Deltic found the number of respondents citing pubs as their late-night venue of choice fell slightly from 26.3% to 23.9% in the past 12 months. 

Among 18 to 21-year-olds, clubs are the most popular option for a night out, with 28.2% of them citing them as the places they spend most of their late-night cash compared to around one in five (21.4%) who plump for the pub. 

For 22 to 25-year-olds, the split between club and bar is more even with 17.2% and 17.8% opting for each respectively.

Socialising online versus in person

Deltic’s latest figures revealed, perhaps reassuringly, that for more than two thirds of Brits (69.1%), going out, socialising and connecting with people in person is more important than doing so online.

Additionally, more than one in four (25.5%) claim the majority of their social life takes place on a night out – the most popular response – although almost the same proportion (23.6%) claimed that it takes place predominantly online or through social media. 

Interestingly, almost one in five (17.2%) of respondents claimed their workplace was the focal point of their social life – the third most common response after nights out and social media.

Dissecting preconceptions of young people

Delving further into these figures reveals the youngest generation of revellers prioritise connecting with people in person rather than via social media or online, with 71.6% of 18 to 21-year-olds claiming they prefer going out and spending time with people than connecting online or via social media.

In comparison, just over half (56.5%) of 22 to 25-year-olds shared this stance, with 25.2% of the slightly older age group claiming that digital connections are more important than nights out – compared to 13.7% of all responses, and 12.5% of 18 to 21-year-olds.

Additionally, Deltic’s research found that a higher proportion of 18 to 21-year-olds think nights out are an important part of bonding with friends than 22 to 25-year-olds – 55.2% v 39.7% - with the latter age group also finding documenting and sharing the experience of a night out on social media more important.

What’s more, according to Deltic, a third of revellers aged 22 to 25 (34.3%) and 26 to 30 (33.3%) said they post on social media whenever they go on a night out, with this number falling to around one in five for 18 to 21-year-olds (22.3%).

Social snapshot

“We know that young people enjoy a good night out, but this data reinforces why going out is so important to them,” Deltic Group chief executive Peter Marks explained. “It provides the opportunity to bond with friends and meet new people, both of which can be difficult to do in today’s busy world. 

“Importantly, it also gives us a snapshot of the role social media plays in their social life. Though there are a lot of similarities, the research suggests there are also some differences between Gen Z and Millennials when it comes to social media and the late-night economy. As more Gen Z become adults, it will be increasingly important for night-time operators to recognise and respond to these differences. 

“It’s always good to see an increase in consumer spend, but I think what’s notable here is that there is a more even spread in terms of where Brits are spending their money – for the first time we’ve seen a notable decline in the number of respondents that said they spend it at the pub (though it remains the most popular), and we’re continuing to see an increase in spend at the cinema. 

“This is reflective of the evolving mix available in the night-time economy, with more well-invested destinations, which is only a good thing.”