As Patronage Slips, The British Pub Gets a Face-Lift

From As Patronage Slips, The British Pub Gets a Face-Lift:

U.K. beer consumption fell 11% to 3.4 pints a week in 2003, the latest figures available, from 3.8 pints in 1990, according to the British Beer & Pub Association. (A U.K. pint is 20 fluid ounces.) The portion of beer sold in pubs has dropped off much faster as supermarkets such as Tesco PLC and Wal-Mart Stores Inc.'s Asda unit offer a wider selection at lower prices, prompting more people to drink at home. Sales of beer sold in stores now account for about 40% of the overall market, up from just 10% in 1980, according to the association.

Pubs, which traditionally have focused on beer and liquor, also have largely missed out on a sharp rise in wine consumption — which jumped 60% between 1990 and 2003 in the U.K., the association says. About 80% of wine is sold in shops and supermarkets.

I always found this odd:

The pub industry's campaign to increase sales is expected to get a boost from the British government this November when pubs will be allowed to stay open late into the night. Today, pubs in England and Wales must close at 11 p.m. six nights a week and at 10:30 p.m. on Sundays. Early hours date back to restrictions imposed during World War I to ensure that munitions workers showed up for work on time the next morning.

To make the case for extending pub opening hours, the government of Prime Minister Tony Blair cited two social problems: binge drinking and late-night street violence, especially in city centers. U.K. police chiefs were among the most vocal supporters of a change. They said later, and staggered, closing times would reduce the number of customers who order and quickly drain several pints shortly before closing time and then spill onto the streets en masse at 11 p.m.
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"Right now, you have 2,500 people coming out of the theater after a show at 10:45 and the pub shuts 10 minutes later. Nobody benefits from that," says Enterprise's Mr. Tuppen. Now, the pub will likely apply to stay open until 12:30 a.m. most nights. He says that could boost sales 20%.