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Economies Of Ale: Small Pubs Close As Chains Focus On Big Bars

Economies of Ale: small pubs close as chains focus on big bars

More than 11,000 pubs have closed in the UK in the last decade – a fall of almost a quarter (23%), according to research from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). But the analysis shows that it is small pubs that are disappearing as the big pub chains consolidate their businesses around bigger bars.

The ONS research, entitled Economies of Ale, confirms the large fall in the number of pubs from around 50,000 in 2008 to around 39,000 in 2018. This equates to one in four.

However, ONS said popular tourist areas, such as the Highlands, were seeing pub numbers holding up, or even increasing.

The report suggests that while small pubs are the worst affected, both independent operators and pub companies are choosing to move towards a business model that focuses on larger venues.

Read more at Economies of Ale.

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