Na een week rookverbod al daling winst geconstateerd
Nadat het Schotse rookverbod een week geleden werd ingevoerd klagen pub-eigenaren al over een gemiddeld verlies in omzet van 10%. Rokers wippen nog wel even binnen, melden de eigenaren, maar zijn snel weer weg nadat ze buiten in de kou een sigaretje hebben moeten pakken. De lol is er blijkbaar vanaf.
Deze eerste indrukken van de negatieve effecten van een rookverbod komen overeen met de ervaringen in Ierland waar al twee jaar een rookverbod in werking is en waar zelfs verliezen van 18% worden gemeld.
Over the last seven days, the Doublet in Glasgow’s west end has seen the same number of customers who smoke come through its doors, but after braving the cold to have a cigarette outside, the problem is they aren’t staying as long as they used to – and that is already having an effect on profits.
The Doublet’s publican, Alistair Don, said: “I think generally we’re probably looking at a 10% reduction in trade. The customers have been very compliant with the law, we’ve had no problems in that respect. Smokers aren’t staying as long as they normally would. It’s been very difficult to try and explain to the customers that they are permitted to smoke on the outside pavement section up till 10 o’clock at night with their drinks, but at 10 that must be cleared, and there’s a lot of confusion with it. Takings down 10% is a very worrying factor, there’s lots of pubs in Scotland supporting loans. If you lose 10% turnover it means your loan has been stretched to the full. It’s happened in Ireland, I think it’s going to happen here, some pubs already stretching the limit to survive, and this might just be the final nail in the coffin.”
