From coaching inn to chameleon — Trends in consumer behaviour and attitudes in the pub/bar market

Abstract

The basis for this paper is a presentation the author made in January 1999 on demographic and lifestyle changes and their likely impact on the restaurant industry. Much of the data and research for that session were compiled over the previous year while the author worked on a major consulting project for Coca-Cola: ‘From ingredient shopping to meal solutions — meeting the consumer appetite for change’. The project lasted over six months and investigated the potential for ‘meal solutions’ (or ready meals) in Europe, as traditional boundaries between the retail food market and food-service providers (not least the pub) blurred as a result of dramatic changes in people's lifestyles. It included extensive research visits across the USA and Europe, where the world's leading food retail companies were interviewed, along with customer focus groups in six countries.As a consultant to the hospitality and leisure industry it became increasingly clear that there were a number of significant ‘drivers’ that were likely to have real impact on our world — irrespective of whether operating pubs, bars, restaurants or retail foodstores. The paper concentrates on these ‘drivers’, and the likely implications for the industry (including the pub/bar market). The opinions, while based largely on the data and consulting experience derived from relevant projects, are solely attributable to the author and are intended to provoke discussion and debate.