Pubs, bars and clubs: spending growth in the United Kingdom (UK) 2020-2021

Spending in UK pubs, bars, and clubs increased in September for the first time since the coronavirus outbreak forced the country into lockdown. Before March 2020, year-over-year figures had all shown an increase in consumer spending in pubs. However, the outbreak and subsequent lockdown had a negative impact on spending, which did not begin to recover until venues were allowed to re-open to visitors again from July. Pubs experienced another challenging period as new restrictions took effect in November when infections gradually soared. By the first week of of February 2021, spending fell to 95.7 percent, the sharpest decline since October 2020; a decline that was shown to continue at a similar rate of -94.8 within March 2021.