Despite worries about the economy and Brexit, the latest quarterly Deltic Night Index (from January to March this year) reveals that average consumer spend, frequency and duration of late nights out have increased compared with last year.

That said ‘escaping the stresses of day to day life’ remains a key reason for going on nights out, with 44% of respondents choosing this option, a slight increase on the last quarter. However, seeing friends is the main reason for going on nights out, with 68.1% stating this

Commissioned by The Deltic Group, the Deltic Night Index is a quarterly report that tracks consumer habits relating to the UK’s night time economy.

Average consumer spend this quarter rose 15.5% to £68.68, up from £59.49 last year. This was driven by an 11.7% increase in spend on food (£16.20) and a 10.3% increase on in-venue drinks spend (£19.25). As well as spending more, consumers are also going out slightly more often and staying out for slightly longer compared with last year – 58.1% of consumers go on a night out at least once a week, and the average night out is now 4 hours 35 minutes.

Looking at consumers attitudes to their local area, the data shows that respondents feel very positively about their local town or city, and the quantity and quality of leisure options available.

As we at PSE Associates work with many of the major pub chains, it’s good to see that the pub remains the most popular late night activity, with 28.9% of respondents spending most of their money here each month (27.5% last quarter).

We’ve been working on a number of refurbishments recently which have breathed new life into local community pubs, thus giving people the chance to enjoy a night out on their doorstep.

We are working closely with our clients in the hospitality industry to offer buildings in which people are happy to spend their nights out. For this reason, we maintain a keen interest in any changes in consumer spending in restaurants and pubs and it’s good to see the sector in good shape.

It is encouraging to see that as a nation we are continuing to enjoy a night out – whether that’s to cheer ourselves up or to celebrate something good which might be happening in our lives.

PSE Associates provides traditional professional Quantity Surveying and Project Management services to many brand leaders in the leisure, retail and commercial sectors.