No more clubbing? Some UK clubs close amid quieting nightlife
No more clubbing? Some UK clubs close amid quieting nightlife
This story was produced by our colleagues at the BBC.
A midweek night out used to be the norm for many British college students — but sticky floors and expensive drinks have lost their appeal. That’s according to the UK’s biggest club operator, which announced it’s closing clubs and says dwindling weeknight business is to blame.
It’s around 10:30 p.m. on a Wednesday night in Oxford, home to one of 35 nightclubs owned by Northern Europe’s largest nightlife company Rekom. It’s cold and a little bit rainy. And it’s quiet.
Grace Soden, Ben Righton and Ruby Belcher have been to dinner and the pub, but there are no clubs in the cards for tonight. They prefer weekends for nights out, because that’s when it’s busiest.
Another issue is money. “We can’t afford it,” Soden said.
Seventeen of Rekom UK’s clubs across the United Kingdom are closing down, though Oxford’s Atik will stay open. But almost 200 miles away, in the north of England, Pryzm in Leeds hasn’t been as lucky. It has shut down, despite the city having one of the biggest student populations in the country.
Similar issues are stopping students in Leeds from going clubbing. Waiting in long lines to pay expensive cover charges is no longer appealing, and people are looking for other forms of entertainment. That’s hit the business hard, said Peter Marks, CEO of Rekom UK.
“The early week in particular has been a problem,” he said. “Obviously, people still like coming out. If money is tight, they’re coming out later. So they’re arriving in our doors later and they’re spending less.”
As well as losing mid-week customers, Rekom said rising energy costs and minimum wage increases have hit its cash flow. Lots of businesses in the area are struggling, according to Mike Kill from the Night Time Industry Association.
“For the last four years, we’ve really set people up to stay at home, communicate with their families, entertain themselves,” he said. “What’s happened now is the inflationary pressures have actually said to them, ‘I can’t afford to go out, but I can do everything I need to do at home.’ So we’ve got some huge challenges.”
Gen Z is also more health-conscious. They drink on average 20% less than millennials, according to analysis by World Finance Magazine. But Scandinavian-based Rekom said its venues in Denmark, Norway and Finland won’t be shuttering.
Just over the road from Atik in Oxford is a bar called Thirst. It specializes in flair bartending, where making drinks is part of the entertainment for the guests. Think Tom Cruise in the movie “Cocktail.”
Yas Hunter is operations manager there. He said young people want more of an experience than just drinks.
“There was a program called ‘Cheers’ way back when, where everybody knows your name,” he said. “Really, with my bars, I really want to replicate that warm welcome feel of ‘Cheers.’ Because if I went to a bar and the bartender was Woody Harrelson, then great, I’m going back there!”
Many other British clubs and bars are also trying to diversify to attract young people. But as Gen Z drinks less and has less money to spend, the competition is fierce.
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