Three quarters of British drinkers 'pre-load' before going out

More than three-quarters of pub-goers admit to drinking cheap supermarket alcohol before they go out - a practice known as "pre-loading".

Meanwhile, almost half of consumers are drinking in pubs less often.

That's the news from a new survey by corporate advisory and recovery services firm Zolfo Cooper.

The report claims that spending across the leisure industry has clearly dropped over the past six months as consumers reassess their spending amid fears for their jobs.

Zolfo Cooper claims that its research shows that pre-loading is the "primary cause" of binge drinking.

But it isn’t all bad news for the British pub. Around 90% of those surveyed who drank out of the home had visited a pub in the last six months. And 67% of UK consumers said that they had eaten out in an ordinary pub in the last six months.

Meanwhile,  Wetherspoons was the first most popular choice among chain outlets for a casual meal after Harvester and Pizza Express.

Among those surveyed:

• 29% of the 55+ age group said good food was their primary motivation for visiting a pub.
• 41% of those aged 18-34 said that drinks prices were the biggest factor in their decision on where to go out.
• The concept of having a 'local' is most common among the 55+ age group, where 44% claim that habit or proximity to come is the biggest factor affecting their choice.

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By Neil Gerrard

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