A recent report by a trade magazine in UK has highlighted the trend towards ever more pubs closing. One in six is predicted to close by 2012. The reasons for this development are manifold: the smoking ban (non-smokers did not replace the smokers), the availability of cheap booze in supermarkets (although pretty much always cheap it is now even more affordable in relation to salaries) and the credit crunch which seems to come around on average every 10 years or so.
As if this were not bad enough, there is a move on aimed at raising the legal age for buying alcohol to 21 years in Scotland. In the local village where I grew up there were 13 pubs 30 years ago; today there are 5. Some closed when money was tight; some sold their licence to supermarkets aspiring to open off-licences and some just couldn't re-invent themselves. Pool tables appeared but they wouldn't install one; Sky TV came on the scene and they wouldn't pay for sports - so punters went elsewhere. Others offered 'pub-grub' and attracted new customers - those who did nothing failed.
It will be interesting to see how the surviving 85% re-invent themselves this time.
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