The drinking habits of the 18-24 year old market

These results form the findings from a survey of 1,113 young people undertaken to establish their habits and choices on a typical Night Out. We first carried out this research in May 2004, subsequently in 2005 and in this article we will compare our current findings with the results from these surveys.

The sample of 1,113 was taken from listeners to the Galaxy Radio network, which covers Yorkshire (Leeds, Sheffield and Hull), Manchester, North East and Birmingham. The typical Galaxy listener provides a strong identification with the typical customer for Young Persons Venues, consumers of branded drinks and the sector that most concerns Government agencies. The sample is not seeking to be representative of the demographic of the UK population as a whole, but is seeking to be representative of the demographic of the core customer for the target market.

The Young Persons market is defined as outlets within the city-specific Centro survey managed by CGA of 9,000 venues that attract the 18-35 year old grouping. These venues have a total capacity of 2,892,193.

This combined survey is repeated on a regular timeframe and by applying the sampling from a matched target consumer and the core YPV outlets it will provide a deeper insight to the consumer that is both the prime target for drinks suppliers and retailers and the prime concern for government, police and health agencies.

Respondents

The sample of 1,113 young people was made up of:

62% between the ages of 18-24
26% between the ages of 25-35

96% drink alcohol, (this figure has remained static across the three surveys) and 68% don't smoke, (the number of non smokers has increased by 7% since our last survey).

Alcohol Consumption in General

Chart showing how many days per week people drink alcohol. 43% said once per week and 46% said two or three times a week. Only 2% drink more often than 5 days each week.

Whilst 2-3 times drinking occasions per week is still the most common, it is interesting to note that this figure has dropped by 11% since we first carried out this survey in 2004 and by 9% in the last year. People drinking on only one occasion has risen by 17%. It would appear that these results continue to show a slight drop in the number of times our sample go out per week and that this trend has accelerated, from 2% in 2005.

62% drink ten or less units per week, a drop of 1% coming from the upper bracket of drinking between six and ten. This keeps them within recommended government safety guidelines over the course of the week.

When drinking alcohol 71% still stated that licensed premises are still their preference. When staying at home 54% buy their alcohol from supermarkets, off licences have increased in popularity with 28% now stating them most popular choice.

When purchasing from an off licence or supermarket 80% will consume the alcohol over the course of a weekend or longer and in some cases (21%) will take more than a week. Not surprisingly, when purchasing in store 81% are influenced by promotional offers such as "buy two get one free". This is a perhaps not surprising increase of 16% since our last survey.

Thinking about a typical night out…

The majority of our respondents will drink whilst getting ready to go out, with 62% (an increase of 1%) having between one and three drinks before leaving the house

Since our last survey it would seem that our consumers are leaving the house later in the evening. Only 7% now leave the house before 9pm. The majority, 41%, leave the house between 9 and 10pm. Interestingly 24% don't leave home until after 11pm. This is a massive change from our last survey when only 4% left after 10pm.

Bars and clubs are still the most popular destinations. Clubs have gained 5% and bars with a DJ have gained 6%. Quieter venues such as wine bars and restaurants lose out to the places with entertainment.

Chart of average number of alcoholic drinks consumed per night. It peaks at 5 to 7 drinks, but a small percentage, approx 2%, say they consume more than 20 in an evening.

Between five and seven drinks per evening is the most common across all age groups
73% of respondents don't mix their drinks
When choosing what to drink 79% are "sometimes or usually" influenced by cost
36% usually get drunk (a drop of 10%) with 22% drinking specifically for this purpose (a drop of 2%)
Over 50% sometimes or usually keep track of how many drinks they've had. 18% alternate between alcoholic and soft drinks. These figures have risen positively overall
88% plan in advance how they will get home at the end of the night
82% use taxis to get home. Still only 2% use public transport. Taxi use has gone up and public transport has gone down
97% keep with friends to feel safer
Our survey asked about safety. 93% replied that they felt safe whilst in venues and 79% feel safe whilst on the streets. These figures have dropped slightly since our last survey but at these high levels are still encouraging
Awareness of police and industry safety initiatives has increased by 12% and 5% respectively
Over a quarter of our respondents spend between Ł40 and Ł60 and just under 50% spend spend between Ł20 and Ł39

Smoking

60% of respondents would support a full smoking ban. However 63% state that they are not bothered by smoking in venues.

Licensing Reform

16% of respondents claimed that their social lives have been affected by licensing reform, in the following ways:

14% are drinking more alcohol
61% are going out later
25% are visiting more venues

Contact

A Night Out was put together by CGA Strategy in conjunction with Galaxy Radio and BEDA (Bar Entertainment & Dance Association). For further information, please contact:

Graham Pitts
graham@cgastrategy.co.uk

CGA Strategy
Waterloo Place
Watson Square
Stockport SK1 3AZ

Tel: 0161 476 8330
Fax: 0161 476 0456