Royal Blenheim landlord Steven Lyne tackles the subject of “Gen Z”
As we see the next generation’s drinking trends shape the future of alcohol, what can we currently see in pubs and are we about to see the face of the classic British pub change forever?
We are fast approaching an exciting time for some young people in Oxford as they begin to prepare their first steps towards their academic endeavours in the city. A brand-new city to explore and integrate into! However, one of the first hurdles any new person that moves into our wonderful city has to get over is, where do we all go when we’ve finished our day? Moving into a new place is stressful enough, but finding out where to get settled in is always a daunting task.
Up to a few years ago, one of the first places a person would recommend was to get yourself into one of our fine drinking establishments, the humble British pub. With a plethora to choose from in Oxford, it seems like an obvious starting place. However, as with each generation that comes through, we see behavioural, and consumer trends shift. Gen Z seems to be getting labelled as “the sober curious” generation, with statistics showing they are drinking less than previous generations. Plenty of journalists seem to be listing this as a main reason that the Classic British Pub is dying. I beg to differ!
It probably tastes good….. but what is it? Image: CAMRA
Right, let’s get to the obvious comment regarding Gen Z. Gen Z are clearly drinking less than previous generations. A consensus of reports carried out worldwide is showing that Gen Z pub goers are drinking around 20% less alcohol compared to Millennials, who also drink less than older generations.
Seems like a worrying statistic at first glance. This statistic tends to be the first comment your average older pub goer seems to bring up about their new younger colleagues as they walk through the front door to the bar. They see this reduction in consumption of alcohol as a dreadful thing for pubs. In their view, they see the younger generations as consuming less, which in turn, must mean that the venue is taking less money and therefore is the reason we are seeing pub doors close.
I wish simplifying the issues that pubs face into such a short statement would help people understand the problems we face in the industry! So, if younger people are drinking less alcohol, what are they popping into their locals for? Why must pubs try to better understand younger people’s drinking habits, and the definition of a “night out”?
Both Millennial and Gen Z generations are quite mindful of their alcohol consumption thanks to ever increasing research on the dangers of over-consumption, a subject that has only really come to light over the past decade. The increased awareness of the dangers and effects of alcohol has led to the rise of this lifestyle trend. And we can see it happening across more generations too!
It’s hazy days for these young ladies. Image: CAMRA
The after-work drinks time slot, which has a brilliant mixture of generations, has seen a dip in alcohol consumption over the past five years as more people tend to adopt “low and no” alcohol lifestyles. You can spot a few key points amongst all this information, but what we should be able to do, is try not to focus on the negative figures. We should promote the positive sides of these trends, as they aren’t going anywhere any time soon! I personally feel that the younger generation is on to something with their “new” approach to going to the pub. Younger customers are prioritising experience-led socialising over alcohol-focused activities.
Whilst younger people aren’t drinking what they used to, they are still coming into these venues every week. Just for varied reasons that we as an industry have gotten used to over the past few decades. People at the end of the day, don’t just come to pubs for the beer, it’s for the crave of social interactions and connections. It’s no longer the alcohol that is the main leader of these social interactions, it’s people genuinely using the social space as a reason to engage with each other. And as much as older generations may be commenting on the fact that this younger generation has gone down the teetotal route, it’s truly not the case. They are just far more conscious of what they are consuming and consequently, it is leading towards another trend that is happening at the same time across the industry. The shift towards quality over quantity.
It may be a Bloody Mary, it may be tomato juice…… Image: CAMRA
This is something I have mentioned in several of my articles about the future of pubs, and their survival in the “new normal”. Gone are the days of just being able to open the pub’s front door and cracking on. Some genuine thought and effort is needed to ensure that pubs continue to prosper. As we see these trends converge towards each other, we can see that in order for pubs to do well in the future, they will need to ensure they provide high quality products, including those with low and no alcohol content.
They also need to ensure that pubs are doing their best at what they are truly meant to be good at, socialising! The pubs that we are seeing in decline are the ones that aren’t adapting to the changes fast enough. They are getting left behind as younger generations walk through their doors and feel like there is something missing, but can’t quite put their finger on it.
I feel that these trends will allow the pubs that do adapt well to become the new ‘British Pub’ as they provide even better products for us all to enjoy and feel full of atmosphere thanks to a mixture of different events to allow people to socialise with one another. The pubs that get this right won’t see the decline in alcohol consumption as they will also see that there are more and more people coming into their venues every week. And with more attention being paid to ensuring only the best quality products make its way into the hands of some thirsty punters, surely this all must be a good thing to look forward to?
The Next Generation of Pub Goers
Royal Blenheim landlord Steven Lyne tackles the subject of “Gen Z”
As we see the next generation’s drinking trends shape the future of alcohol, what can we currently see in pubs and are we about to see the face of the classic British pub change forever?
We are fast approaching an exciting time for some young people in Oxford as they begin to prepare their first steps towards their academic endeavours in the city. A brand-new city to explore and integrate into! However, one of the first hurdles any new person that moves into our wonderful city has to get over is, where do we all go when we’ve finished our day? Moving into a new place is stressful enough, but finding out where to get settled in is always a daunting task.
Up to a few years ago, one of the first places a person would recommend was to get yourself into one of our fine drinking establishments, the humble British pub. With a plethora to choose from in Oxford, it seems like an obvious starting place. However, as with each generation that comes through, we see behavioural, and consumer trends shift. Gen Z seems to be getting labelled as “the sober curious” generation, with statistics showing they are drinking less than previous generations. Plenty of journalists seem to be listing this as a main reason that the Classic British Pub is dying. I beg to differ!
Right, let’s get to the obvious comment regarding Gen Z. Gen Z are clearly drinking less than previous generations. A consensus of reports carried out worldwide is showing that Gen Z pub goers are drinking around 20% less alcohol compared to Millennials, who also drink less than older generations.
Seems like a worrying statistic at first glance. This statistic tends to be the first comment your average older pub goer seems to bring up about their new younger colleagues as they walk through the front door to the bar. They see this reduction in consumption of alcohol as a dreadful thing for pubs. In their view, they see the younger generations as consuming less, which in turn, must mean that the venue is taking less money and therefore is the reason we are seeing pub doors close.
I wish simplifying the issues that pubs face into such a short statement would help people understand the problems we face in the industry! So, if younger people are drinking less alcohol, what are they popping into their locals for? Why must pubs try to better understand younger people’s drinking habits, and the definition of a “night out”?
Both Millennial and Gen Z generations are quite mindful of their alcohol consumption thanks to ever increasing research on the dangers of over-consumption, a subject that has only really come to light over the past decade. The increased awareness of the dangers and effects of alcohol has led to the rise of this lifestyle trend. And we can see it happening across more generations too!
The after-work drinks time slot, which has a brilliant mixture of generations, has seen a dip in alcohol consumption over the past five years as more people tend to adopt “low and no” alcohol lifestyles. You can spot a few key points amongst all this information, but what we should be able to do, is try not to focus on the negative figures. We should promote the positive sides of these trends, as they aren’t going anywhere any time soon! I personally feel that the younger generation is on to something with their “new” approach to going to the pub. Younger customers are prioritising experience-led socialising over alcohol-focused activities.
Whilst younger people aren’t drinking what they used to, they are still coming into these venues every week. Just for varied reasons that we as an industry have gotten used to over the past few decades. People at the end of the day, don’t just come to pubs for the beer, it’s for the crave of social interactions and connections. It’s no longer the alcohol that is the main leader of these social interactions, it’s people genuinely using the social space as a reason to engage with each other. And as much as older generations may be commenting on the fact that this younger generation has gone down the teetotal route, it’s truly not the case. They are just far more conscious of what they are consuming and consequently, it is leading towards another trend that is happening at the same time across the industry. The shift towards quality over quantity.
This is something I have mentioned in several of my articles about the future of pubs, and their survival in the “new normal”. Gone are the days of just being able to open the pub’s front door and cracking on. Some genuine thought and effort is needed to ensure that pubs continue to prosper. As we see these trends converge towards each other, we can see that in order for pubs to do well in the future, they will need to ensure they provide high quality products, including those with low and no alcohol content.
They also need to ensure that pubs are doing their best at what they are truly meant to be good at, socialising! The pubs that we are seeing in decline are the ones that aren’t adapting to the changes fast enough. They are getting left behind as younger generations walk through their doors and feel like there is something missing, but can’t quite put their finger on it.
I feel that these trends will allow the pubs that do adapt well to become the new ‘British Pub’ as they provide even better products for us all to enjoy and feel full of atmosphere thanks to a mixture of different events to allow people to socialise with one another. The pubs that get this right won’t see the decline in alcohol consumption as they will also see that there are more and more people coming into their venues every week. And with more attention being paid to ensuring only the best quality products make its way into the hands of some thirsty punters, surely this all must be a good thing to look forward to?
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