How pub spending reflects a new era of competitive socialising.
Pub goers are more likely than ever to play pool, darts and a gaming machine on the same visit to their favourite bar – as so-called competitive socialising gathers pace across the country.
New data from the UK’s sector-leading supplier of equipment to the pub industry challenges the assumption that different products compete for the same customer spend.
And The Rudd Group has found that venues choosing between pool, darts or digital gaming can prove counter-productive with landlords urged to consider the perfect entertainment mix – however big or small their venue.
“There’s a longstanding belief within pub entertainment that different products are competing for the same customer’s limited spend,” explains Nick Rudd, Managing Director of the Tyneside-based firm.
“Put simply there’s an assumption that a pound put into pool or darts is a pound that won’t be used on a gaming machine.
“Our data explodes that myth. We have two different pieces of evidence pointing in the same direction and it’s clear that the emerging picture is that of an ‘Entertainment Journey’.
“In other words, pub-goers like to mix and match when it comes to so-called competitive socialising. Timing – and the range of entertainment on offer – is everything.”
The Rudd Group’s research suggests different products can fulfil different customer needs at different moments – potentially creating more reasons to stay, play and spend.
Data collated during this summer’s World Cup confirmed that different entertainment products performed better at different stages of the night.
And wider data compiled across The Rudd Group’s estate showed that venues offering pool and darts don’t appear to suffer from a lower gaming spend. In fact, those pubs revealed a significantly higher gaming revenue.
The Rudd Group estate operates more than 7,000 entertainment products across the UK.
And the Newcastle-based business is constantly monitoring industry trends in a bid to best serve its growing customer base.
“There is a clear association between increased income and those venues that are home to a full suite of entertainment products,” adds Nick.
“Across our estate we found that gaming machines in venues that also offer pool and darts show 56 per cent higher income compared to those without pool and darts.
“It’s clear that other factors can contribute to that variation in income – venue size, footfall, trading strength, customer profile, opening hours etc. – but our figures directly challenge the assumption that different entertainment products steal spend from others.”
The Rudd Group paid particular attention to the habits of pub goers during a World Cup that led to extended opening hours and later nights.
And the consumer spending trends that Nick and colleagues observed throughout the tournament helped to shape what the firm has coined ‘The Entertainment Journey’.
“As an example, we tracked hourly activity across gaming machines, contactless pool and Target Dartzones during England’s delayed World Cup last-16 match against Mexico,” he explains.
“Rather than all three products peaking together – and apparently competing for the same moment – each had a different usage pattern across the evening.
“Gaming machines peaked at 6pm, several hours before kick-off. Contactless pool built through the evening and peaked at 11pm, during the pre-match social period.
“Target Dartzone was later again: usage was still climbing at 11pm and 30% of the day’s darts were thrown between 10pm and midnight.
“Put together, the data shows three distinctly different entertainment patterns across one customer occasion.
“Our description of this is The Entertainment Journey: gaming opens the evening, pool carries the ‘social middle’ and darts becomes increasingly important later on.”
www.theruddgroup.co.uk