Covering all the angles?

The straws in the wind seem to indicate that by-and-large the licensed trade has happily taken its part in what has been something of an upturn in consumer spend of late.

Quoting figures that were surely music to retailers’ ears, the CSO indicated that consumer spending rose sharply again in September which points to continued growth of consumer confidence.

And according to Visa-Europe’s Irish Consumer Spending Index, following a third quarter rise, retailers are expecting a significant rise in spend this coming Christmas (see our News section). The licensed trade itself should be part of this.

Christmas sales are always of interest to data companies like Nielsen who’ve produced a Christmas consumer spending review for the past few years.

All this is to say that this month traditionally witnesses different trading patterns from the rest of the year. People go upmarket, ordering more elaborate costlier drinks than would normally be the case.

Have you been meeting their demands here?

Even if you have everything in place productwise, there’s more that you can do with the premises itself.

Are your premises as warm and comforting to customers as you think on cold December nights?

According to a report in the UK trade newspaper Publicans Morning Advertiser scientists at two universities in America have identified cinnamon and some forms of orange scent as among the most pleasant smells that the human nose can detect, “… thus proving what many of us suspected all along – that there’s nothing quite as alluring or comforting as a simmering pot of mulled wine to get the senses tingling”.

Trace scents of cloves, star anise and wood smoke from an open fire also help evoke the spirit of Christmas in a pub, states PMA.

Bet you didn’t think of that angle….