85% of consumers spent on eating out at the start of the year, says report

According to a new report from business advisory firm Deloitte, eating out remains the most popular leisure activity in the UK, with 85% of consumers spending in this area in the first three months of the year.

In-home leisure, which saw growth from cash-strapped households during the recession, is the second most popular leisure activity in the UK. More than three quarters (77%) of consumers spent money on activities such as film, TV and music streaming and video gaming in Q1 2016. Significantly, the rise in household income in recent years has not led to a decline in spending on in-home leisure, indicating that this has now become a habitual leisure activity in the UK.

Simon Oaten, partner for hospitality and leisure at Deloitte said: “Leisure is no longer defined as out-of-home activity. In-home leisure has continued to grow since the recession and consumers now regard these activities as part of their day-to-day leisure routine. Improved technology, such as smart TVs and streaming services have enabled consumers to enjoy leisure in the comfort of their own home, in addition to going out.

“Furthermore, the emergence of the collaborative economy has made consumers comfortable with the idea of paying for access to goods and services, rather than ownership. This has made their consumption ‘efficient’, as sharing assets such as cars and music provides them with more money to spend on what they want to enjoy.”