Over 7,500 licensed hospitality premises closed in past year

The number of licensed hospitality premises in Britain has fallen 7,592 in the past year of the coronavirus pandemic.

That’s according to the latest Market Growth Monitor from CGA and advisory firm AlixPartners, which set out the impact of Covid-19 on the industry.

The report found that Britain had a total of 115,108 licensed premises trading in March 2020, but the number had fallen to 107,516 in February 2021.

Some 2,713 premises closed in January and February this year alone, equivalent to 46 closures a day.

Independent businesses have borne the brunt of closures, with a total of 5,112 being lost since March 2020, including 1,971 in the first two months of 2021.

Smaller businesses have been more vulnerable in comparison to well-invested pub and restaurant groups, which have recorded 1,229 closures.

“While hospitality finally has a roadmap out of lockdown, these figures show that dozens more businesses are being pushed to collapse every day,” said Karl Chessell, CGA’s business unit director for hospitality operators and food EMEA.

“Losing Christmas sales had a shattering impact on many entrepreneurial restaurants, pubs and bars, who add so much colour to our high streets and enrich communities up and down Britain.”

Graeme Smith, managing director at AlixPartners, said the pandemic has “reshaped the market for many years to come” and there were likely to be “further casualties” before hospitality can trade without restrictions this summer.

“Further support is needed for the industry, which is creaking at the seams,” said Smith.

The March edition of the Market Recovery Monitor will be published next week.

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