Nearly ninety per cent (87%) of people in Northern Ireland are likely to part with more cash in pub venues that offer a sense of fun with their pints, according to a new study.

Half of people in Northern Ireland would spend over £15 more than they’d planned to if they were having a fun time in a pub. Nearly one in ten (9%) admitted they would spend more than £20 extra in a pub with the ‘fun factor’.

The survey was commissioned by Saturn Visual Solutions, a digital signage consultancy which works in the leisure industry, and carried out by OnePoll with 2,000 UK-based, adult full-time and part-time workers.

The research also found that the amount of time people stay in venues is impacted by how fun they consider them to be too. A quarter of survey respondents in Northern Ireland said they would be likely to spend an additional 45 minutes to as much two hours extra in a fun venue. More than three quarters also indicated that they would return at least once a month to a pub they considered to be a fun place.

placeholder image — Chris Welsh, Saturn CEO

The study results may come as welcome news for pubs in Northern Ireland that are having to battle against cost-of-living pressures and increased operating costs.

When it comes to what people perceive as a fun venue, nearly two thirds of survey respondents living in Northern Ireland defined a fun place/experience as somewhere visually interesting (60%). Over half (52%) defined a fun place/experience as somewhere that encouraged them to feel specific emotions such as anticipation, excitement and happiness. Places that had nothing interesting to look at or watch were defined by nearly two thirds of people (60%) in Northern Ireland as boring.

Chris Welsh, CEO of Saturn Visual Solutions said: “The results of our research underline the need for pubs and hospitality venues in Northern Ireland to offer customers a stimulating, sociable and memorable experience. They explain why places are increasingly introducing socially competitive elements such as darts, shuffle-board or games areas, alongside visually stimulating and interactive interiors.

“When people are having fun they have a tendency to go with the flow, enjoy the moment, and treat themselves. They also want to prolong and repeat the experience. Hospitality venues that don’t manage to create the right ‘fun’ atmosphere could be leaving money on the table.”

“Our research has shown that there are lots of factors involved in creating an atmosphere that encourages people to have fun, and there are significant financial rewards for nailing it. Many hospitality venues can rely on the ‘buzz’ created by crowds at peak times. They also need to focus on bringing their venue to life and create a sense of fun at off-peak times too.”

According to the research, UK men are more likely to spend extra on having a good time than women, with only nine per cent of male respondents saying they would stick to a set budget, as opposed to 11 per cent of females. Men are also likely to spend a greater amount, with male respondents admitting they’d be likely to spend an average of £16.70 extra than planned, whereas female respondents would be likely to spend around £14.63 extra.

Saturn Visual Solutions is a digital signage consultancy that works with leisure attractions/hospitality venues to help them improve their customer experience, making it more fun and engaging to increase the venue’s profitability.

Saturn has used the research to produce a white paper called ‘Profits On Tap’ which can be found at https://saturnvisual.com/pubs-white-paper-profits-on-tap/.