Drinking spend is up, but eating down

30-Jul-2019 - Last updated on 30-Jul-2019 at 15:51 GMT

A little sweetener: consumers are drinking more coffee out of home

Brits plan to spend more money on drinking out over the coming months, Deloitte’s Leisure Consumer Report for the third quarter of 2019 has claimed.

Spend in the leisure category rose by one percentage point in the second quarter of the year compared to quarter one, with spend expected to rise by two percentage points in quarter three.

The survey of more than 3,000 adults found that, while consumers were seeking experiences, they were still likely to buy into everyday ‘treats’ such as barista-made coffees, a category that was up three percentage points on the previous quarter.

Of those surveyed, more consumers said they were spending on both long and short holidays in quarter two, which rose by three and four percentage points respectively.

Enjoy a summer holiday

Deloitte partner for hospitality and leisure Simon Oaten said: “Despite continued Brexit uncertainty and its impact on holidaymakers’ spending money, consumers still expect to pack up their bags and enjoy a summer holiday this year.

“For today’s consumer, experience is everything. A generation of social media-savvy consumers also continue to seek out new travel experiences to share with their online audience and are piqued by new flight route offerings and off-the-beaten-track locations.”

The majority of those asked also said they were spending more on live sports events over the summer – up two percentage points for the quarter – driven by an increase in international competitions held closer to the UK.

“Sporting thrills and spills have been enjoyed across a variety of different sports so far this summer, from tennis and cricket to the women’s world cup, drawing a wider audience,” said Oaten.

New experiences

“At the same time, the atmosphere of a stadium environment has appealed more as consumers seek new experiences as sports spectators.”

He added: “Following a strong start to the year, net leisure spending has risen marginally again this quarter.

“While consumer confidence remained flat over the same period, strong leisure spending means consumers continue to power the economy. The question is how much longer they can continue to do so?”

Despite the positive figures, current political and economic uncertainty has continued to create caution among some consumers, with almost a third (32%) of those asked expecting to reduce leisure spend in the next six months.