Café culture soars as pub popularity plummets

Over 3.6 million more adults are going to coffee shops in 2017 than they did in 2010, marking a 49.2% surge in their popularity. Meanwhile, over the same period, over a million fewer adults are going to pubs or bars, marking a 17.5% decline.

This is according to comprehensive new IPA TouchPoints 2017 data published, which reveals how the population spends their daily lives and how their use of communications channels and devices fit into this.

The data reveals that the number of Great British consumers visiting a coffee shop at least once a week has significantly increased in the past seven years from 6,246 million consumers in 2010, to 9,858million in 2017. This increase is even greater for 15-24-year-olds, with over 80% more of them visiting coffee shops today vs 2010 (1,572m vs 910,000).

In contrast, TouchPoints2017 also shows that in the same time frame, the number of Great British consumers visiting a pub or bar at least once a week has significantly decreased from 10,308 million consumers in 2010, to 9,033million in 2017. This decline is also apparent for 15-24-year-olds, albeit to a less significant degree, with over almost 12% less of them visiting bars or pubs today (1.5m) vs 2010 (1,78m).

Says Sarah Golding, IPA President and CEO, CHI & Partners: “These figures bring into sharp focus the extent to which cafe culture has taken over. With cafes providing a safe, social space, and often offering free wifi, it is any wonder that their popularity is soaring for individuals, families and professionals. At the same time, however, the cost of alcohol in supermarkets vs pubs and bars makes it hard for pubs to compete for consumers’ finances and free time.”

Additional stats revealed by the TouchPoints data into consumers’ daily lives in 2017 include:

• We now spend an average of 6hours and 25mins alone each week – an increase of 17% since 2005.
• The time spent at work continues to grow – working adults now spend an average 6hours and 49 minutes a day at work – this has gone up by 22% since 2005 – an increase of an hour and 12 minutes a day.
• Compared to 2005, we are spending an extra 35 minutes a day at home.
• Housework and jobs around the house have suffered – we spend 11 minutes less a day since 2005.
• We are also spending 14 minutes less a day on our hobbies and pastimes.
• Compared to 2005, we now spend less time relaxing – some 49 minutes a day less.
• We also make less time to socialise – 35 minutes less a day in 2017 than 2005.
• We now spend an hour and twenty minutes a day exercising, compared to an hour and 26 minutes a day doing sport and exercise back in 2005.
• Back in 2008 13% of us were using the internet to do our grocery shopping. By 2017 that figure has risen to 21%.
• 10.5 million of us baked at least once a week in 2017. This is very slightly down on last year (2.5%).

For more information and to subscribe to TouchPoints visit www.ipa.co.uk/touchpoints and join the conversation at #IPATouchPoints