Latest news with #PhilUrban
Scotsman
27-05-2025
- Business
- Scotsman
Late night economy All Bar One business briefing video
From food inflation edging up again and changing late-night pub habits, to M&C Saatchi's Dubai sports- marketing buy-out and Sandbanks retaining its crown as the UK's priciest seaside hotspot - here are today's top UK business stories. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Food inflation increased again in May, with wholesale meat prices pushing up the cost of steak. Overall shop prices stayed 0.1 per cent lower than a year ago, but fresh food prices rose 2.4 per cent. Non-food goods like fashion and furniture saw smaller discounts as retailers eased off promotions. Meanwhile, electrical prices dropped as stores tried to boost spending ahead of possible US tariffs. Late-night economy 'shrinking' and Sandbanks retains property crown: Business in Brief The boss of pub giant Mitchells & Butlers says the late-night market is shrinking as social media and home delivery change young people's habits. Chief executive Phil Urban says the group won't expand in that space, calling it 'the toughest part of the market'. Mitchells owns Toby Carvery, All Bar One and Harvester – and says family events like Easter are now bigger drivers of trade. Rival Marston's has also seen a boost from key occasions and is investing in sports pubs to tap new demand. In M&A news, M&C Saatchi has agreed to buy Dune 23, a leading sports marketing agency based in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. The bolt-on acquisition will boost its growing UAE business and enhance its sport and entertainment offer. Dune 23's clients include the Chicago Bulls, Dubai 7s and SailGP, and the deal will be funded from existing cash. Premier Inn owner Whitbread has appointed Christine Hodgson as its new chair. She will take over on September 1, replacing Adam Crozier after six years in the role. Hodgson also chairs water giant Severn Trent and brings experience from top consumer and tech businesses. She joins as Premier Inn steps up expansion plans in Germany. And Sandbanks in Dorset has been named Britain's most expensive seaside spot – with average house prices near £1 million. Despite a small dip last year, prices there still top Lloyds Bank's coastal property list. Salcombe in Devon and Padstow in Cornwall also make the top three, reflecting the South West's luxury appeal. Across Britain, seaside homes cost just under £296,000 on average - slightly down on 2023.
Scotsman
27-05-2025
- Business
- Scotsman
Late night economy All Bar One business briefing video
From food inflation edging up again and changing late-night pub habits, to M&C Saatchi's Dubai sports- marketing buy-out and Sandbanks retaining its crown as the UK's priciest seaside hotspot - here are today's top UK business stories. Sign up to our Scotsman Money newsletter, covering all you need to know to help manage your money. Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Food inflation increased again in May, with wholesale meat prices pushing up the cost of steak. Overall shop prices stayed 0.1 per cent lower than a year ago, but fresh food prices rose 2.4 per cent. Non-food goods like fashion and furniture saw smaller discounts as retailers eased off promotions. Meanwhile, electrical prices dropped as stores tried to boost spending ahead of possible US tariffs. Late-night economy 'shrinking' and Sandbanks retains property crown: Business in Brief The boss of pub giant Mitchells & Butlers says the late-night market is shrinking as social media and home delivery change young people's habits. Chief executive Phil Urban says the group won't expand in that space, calling it 'the toughest part of the market'. Mitchells owns Toby Carvery, All Bar One and Harvester – and says family events like Easter are now bigger drivers of trade. Rival Marston's has also seen a boost from key occasions and is investing in sports pubs to tap new demand. In M&A news, M&C Saatchi has agreed to buy Dune 23, a leading sports marketing agency based in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. The bolt-on acquisition will boost its growing UAE business and enhance its sport and entertainment offer. Dune 23's clients include the Chicago Bulls, Dubai 7s and SailGP, and the deal will be funded from existing cash. Premier Inn owner Whitbread has appointed Christine Hodgson as its new chair. She will take over on September 1, replacing Adam Crozier after six years in the role. Hodgson also chairs water giant Severn Trent and brings experience from top consumer and tech businesses. She joins as Premier Inn steps up expansion plans in Germany.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Nightclub trade shrinking as younger people stay at home instead
The UK's late-night economy is facing a downturn as younger generations increasingly opt for social media and home deliveries over traditional nights out, according to the head of one of Britain's largest pub and bar operators. While the hospitality sector anticipates a boost from the upcoming bank holiday weekend, family-oriented occasions like Mother's Day and Easter have been the primary drivers of increased footfall for many chains. Mitchells & Butlers, the group behind restaurant, pub, and bar chains including Toby Carvery, Harvester, All Bar One, Nicholson's, and Miller & Carter, has taken a different approach to other hospitality firms. Chief executive Phil Urban stated that the company will not seek expansion in the late-night market due to the significant challenges it presents. "The toughest part of the market right now is late night," Mr Urban told the PA news agency. He added, expressing relief at the company's limited exposure to the struggling sector: "We're certainly not exposed like pure, late-night operators are, so we're quite thankful for that." Last week, Marston's, which operates around 1,300 pubs across the UK, reported a rise in customers attributed to such events, highlighting a shift in consumer preferences. The company has also invested in a new sports pub concept to tap into the expanding market for sports-focused venues. Mr Urban said younger people were straying from previous generations who would be more inclined to 'go out late night and stay out'. 'I think social media means that you don't have to do that to stay in touch with your friends,' he told PA. The booming takeaway and home delivery market was also having an influence, he suggested, adding: 'People are often meeting beforehand to have something to eat, having a few drinks at home, before going out. 'So, those pure late-night, club operators, have certainly got a smaller market. 'We wouldn't go back into that sort of club market, it's not for us, because I do think it's going to take a long while to reverse – if it does.' He said all the company's brands were 'doing well', but that its Irish pub and bar chain O'Neill's was 'probably having the toughest time' due to its exposure to the night-time industry. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
The Guardian
27-05-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Tough times loom for night-time economy as young Britons opt to go out (and go home) early
A social media and a home delivery boom has shifted younger people's attitude to going out and risks shrinking the late night entertainment market, the boss of one of the UK's biggest pub companies has warned. Phil Urban, the chief executive of the pub operator Mitchells & Butlers, said that the 'toughest part of the market right now is late night' as younger people abandon the traditions of previous generations, who would be more inclined to 'go out late night and stay out'. 'I think social media means that you don't have to do that to stay in touch with your friends,' he said. 'People are often meeting beforehand to have something to eat, having a few drinks at home, before going out. So, those pure late-night, club operators, have certainly got a smaller market.' He added: 'We wouldn't go back into that sort of club market, it's not for us, because I do think it's going to take a long while to reverse – if it does.' In 2013, the UK had 1,700 nightclubs. By June 2024 there were fewer than half as many, just 787, according to figures from the analysts CGA by NIQ and AlixPartners. The Covid-19 pandemic, which effectively shut down the industry for months on end, sped up the pace of decline, putting paid to more than a third of Britain's clubs, the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) has said. Mitchells owns restaurants, pubs and bar chains including Toby Carvery, Harvester, All Bar One, Nicholson's, and Miller & Carter. Urban added that the group's brands were 'doing well', but that its Irish pub and bar chain O'Neill's was 'probably having the toughest time' due to its exposure to the night-time industry. While hospitality companies will be hoping for a boost in spending over the bank holiday weekend, family-focused events such as Mother's Day and Easter have been the driving force behind a jump in visitors for many chains. Sign up to Business Today Get set for the working day – we'll point you to all the business news and analysis you need every morning after newsletter promotion Earlier this month, Marston's, which runs about 1,300 pubs in the UK, said such occasions were bringing in more customers, while it has recently invested in a new sports pub concept to capitalise on the growing market. Even so, the overall pub sector faces challenging conditions itself due to cost of living pressures for its customers, while recent rises in employer national insurance contributions and the national minimum wage has also left companies considering whether or not to raise prices.
Powys County Times
27-05-2025
- Business
- Powys County Times
Nightclub market shrinking as younger people stay at home, says pub boss
The boss of one of the UK's biggest pub and bar operators has warned over a shrinking late-night market as social media and a home delivery boom has shifted younger people's attitudes to going out. Phil Urban, the chief executive of Mitchells & Butlers, said the group would not look to grow in that market because of the challenges it faces. 'The toughest part of the market right now is late night,' Mr Urban told the PA news agency. 'We're certainly not exposed like pure, late-night operators are, so we're quite thankful for that.' Mitchells owns restaurants, pubs and bar chains including Toby Carvery, Harvester, All Bar One, Nicholson's, and Miller & Carter. While hospitality companies will be hoping for a boost in spending over the bank holiday weekend, family-focused events like Mother's Day and Easter have been the driving force behind a jump in visitors for many chains. Last week, Marston's, which runs about 1,300 pubs in the UK, said such occasions were bringing in more customers, while it has recently invested in a new sports pub concept to capitalise on the growing market. Mr Urban said younger people were straying from previous generations who would be more inclined to 'go out late night and stay out'. 'I think social media means that you don't have to do that to stay in touch with your friends,' he told PA. The booming takeaway and home delivery market was also having an influence, he suggested, adding: 'People are often meeting beforehand to have something to eat, having a few drinks at home, before going out. 'So, those pure late-night, club operators, have certainly got a smaller market. 'We wouldn't go back into that sort of club market, it's not for us, because I do think it's going to take a long while to reverse – if it does.'
