CarlsbergBritvic-SDR-Licensed-v17 - Flipbook - Page 34
Welcome
Sustainability
Category overview
LICENSED VENUE NUMBERS STABILISE10
The number of licensed venues in the UK in 2024 remained more or
less unchanged on the previous year (in fact, there was an increase
of seven venues).10 Although the sector still faces challenges – not
least the March end to business rate relief11 and April’s rise in employer
National Insurance contributions12 – this should be celebrated. After
all, venue numbers declined by 2.9% in 202313 and by 4.5% in 202213.
UK licensed venue
numbers 2024:
VENUE CHANGE 2024
-4%
-2%
0%
2%
Bars
Bar-restaurants
4%
6%
99,120
High street pubs
Large venues
Hotels
(+0.0%)14
Casual dining restaurants
Community pubs
Restaurants
Sport/social clubs
Nightclubs
Food-led pubs
THE REBIRTH OF
THE PUB TRADE
The UK’s towns and city centres are being reborn, with
vibrant new bar, bar-restaurant and high street pub
openings playing a key role in halting the overall decline
in outlet numbers. These types of venues saw respective
increases in outlets of 5.9%, 4.1% and 3.7% in 2024.14
Food-led pubs, nightclubs and restaurants saw the
sharpest declines, of 3.2%, 2.7% and 0.6% respectively.14
There was also a 0.4% dip in community pub numbers.14
Against this backdrop, total drink sales dipped by 0.7% to
£31.2bn in 2024,15 while volumes declined by 3.4%.15 Soft
drinks have performed relatively well, with value sales
increasing by 0.6% to £4.6bn,15 while volumes have dipped
by 5.6%,15 making them the second strongest performing
drinks type after long alcoholic drinks, which are up 1.8%
on volumes down 2.2%.15
10 CGA by NielsenIQ outlet index – December 2024
11 https://www.gov.uk/guidance/business-rates-relief-202526-retail-hospitality-and-leisure-scheme
12 https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/changes-to-the-class-1-national-insurance-contributions-secondary-threshold-the-secondary-class-1-national-insurancecontributions-rate-and-the-empl/changes-to-the-class-1-national-insurance-contributions-secondary-threshold-the-secondary-class-1-national-insurance-contributions-rateand-the-empl
13 CGA by NielsenIQ outlet index – December 2023 - https://www.thespiritsbusiness.com/2025/01/britain-bar-numbers-grow-in-2024/#:~:text=The%20total%20
number%20of%20licensed,4.5%25%20and%202.9%25%20respectively.
14 CGA by NielsenIQ outlet index – December 2024
15 CGA by Nielsen IQ, Total Licensed, Value sales, 52 w/e 28.12.24
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LICENSED CATEGORY OVERVIEW
