Now that live sport has returned to our pubs, we’re starting to see some recognisable characters around the place. Knowing the characteristics of your customers, and what they’re likely to drink can be a big help in optimising your drinks list and forecasting for big events like the Euros 2020 and Wimbledon.
Which of these types have you seen around your venue?
The ‘Let’s get a chant going!’
These party-loving patrons, which our insights partner PROOF refer to as the Revellers, love an up-tempo occasion and are always ready to take things to the next level. They’re strongly drawn to premium lager and love a reason to celebrate. They’re more likely to buy on promotion so you can cater to them with event-specific drink deals, especially on value spirits. If you find yourself with a bar full of revellers you can expect to hear a lot about ‘football coming home'.
The ‘Still on my first pint'
This crowd, known as the Appreciators, aren’t in a hurry to finish what’s in the glass. They prefer to savour their drink and will probably go for something a little bit more special. Add this to the premiumisation trend that we’re seeing coming out of lockdown and you’ve got a good opportunity to trade these customers up. They’re equally like to drink beers, wines, or spirits, so long as the quality is there, so you can court this customer with a nice range from every category.
The ‘Got anything new on?'
AKA Enthusiasts. These folks will go out of their way to try new things and learn as much as they can about what they’re drinking. They like to be in the know and are drawn to the unusual or the exciting. This interest is often split across categories but they tend to spend more on wine than beer or spirits. There’s a great opportunity here to engage these customers by offering a little background on the products you stock, especially around origin and production. This crowd will probably do some online research and are more likely to book a table and enjoy a meal while watching the game so be sure to keep your social media up to date with any menu changes and availability.
The ‘That’s my bar stool’
These Regulars are the lifeblood of local venues across the UK. For many pubs and bars they were the first ones back through the doors every time lockdowns were lifted and have helped provide a steady stream of income throughout the last few turbulent months. As well as being reliable they tend to over-index on the number of drinks they buy in venue, making up just 13% of UK customers but accounting for 20% of all beverages sold. They’re unlikely to try new things so to keep this customer happy any changes to your offering during events like the Euros and Olympics mustn’t be too drastic. They might not turn up just for the sports but will probably happily watch what’s on so it might be worth keeping some tables aside for walk-ins.
The ’Do you have a quieter table?’
This group, sometimes called the Unwinders, are usually looking for a low-tempo or intimate setting rather than a rowdy front bar. This can be tricky if you’re planning to show games that will probably attract a more high-energy and, let’s face it, noisy crowd. The best approach is probably to make sure you let any bookings know that the game will be on and maybe suggest a quieter time to book if you think you might have an Unwinder on your hands.
To learn more about consumer types and what they are after have a look at the POURtraits Segmentation Report from out insight partners at PROOF.
About the author
Gabrielle Hutson
Gab found a love for wine (and spirits and beer and coffee!) during her years on the hospitality scene around Australia. The desire to dip her toes into a bigger wine and hospitality industry drove her to London and today she writes, reads and talks non-stop about wine for Matthew Clark's website and social channels.
