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A campaign group representing pub drinkers has criticized a move by Britain’s largest pub company, Stonegate, to increase the price of pints by 20p during the busiest trading hours at some of its venues to offset high costs.
Bosses at the Slug and Lettuce and Craft Union chains said they had introduced a “dynamic pricing” system for drinks in about 800 venues on evenings and weekends to help cover the cost of extra staffing, licensing requirements and extra safety measures.
The pub group, which has 4,000 managed, leased and rented pubs across the UK, had previously implemented surge pricing at some of its venues during the 2018 and 2022 Football World Cups, but has now made the move permanent.
An online review posted by one customer revealed how punters were informed via a “polite notice” on the gaming table that “the venue is currently operating dynamic pricing during this peak trading period”. The Telegraph first reported Stonegate’s new policy.
Tom Stainer, chief executive of consumer group Campaign for Real Ale, called the move “disturbing” and added that if the message was not clearly displayed it could damage pubs Price transparency for enthusiasts.
“We know pubs and brewers are facing difficulties at the moment, but we don’t think charging extra for customers who want to support the industry is the right solution,” Steiner said. “We’re worried it will convince people to stay away.”
Dynamic pricing, where companies adjust prices based on demand levels at specific times, has been widely used in other industries, notably airlines and hotel groups, ride-hailing app Uber and ticketing platform Ticketmaster.
For live events, this pricing model has proven extremely unpopular with fans, with 71% of Britons opposed to dynamic ticket pricing according to a YouGov poll published in December.
“Like all retail businesses, we review our pricing regularly to manage costs but also to ensure we are delivering great value for money to our guests,” Stonegate said. “This flexibility may mean that, at times, some pubs and bars may see slight increases in pricing due to increased cost requirements for the business due to additional staffing or licensing requirements (such as additional doorman team members).”
Stonegate added that the use of dynamic pricing also allows it to offer offers to customers during less busy trading times, including buy two get one free on cocktails and food and drink discounts.
One rival pub chief executive said Stonegate’s move set a dangerous precedent for pricing transparency, saying the use of dynamic pricing was “bad in a lot of ways”. “Pubs should be transparent with customers and not deceive them during busy times,” they added.
Steven Alton, chief executive of the British Hotel Management Association, which represents the independent pub industry, said the move “demonstrates the reality of current operating costs and pubs are trying to find any opportunity to deliver healthy profits”.
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