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<\/p>\nJanuary is traditionally one of the toughest months of the year for pubs. But new research from Simply Business suggests that 2026 could be particularly challenging, with UK pubs potentially missing out on \u00a359 million in revenue as millions of adults take part in Dry January.<\/p>\n
With rising costs, changing customer habits, and uncertainty around business rates \u2013 many pub landlords are asking the same question: how do you stay resilient during a quieter start to the year?<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
13m<\/p>\n
people taking part in Dry January<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Circles-02.png\")
<\/p>\n
43%<\/p>\n
Of Dry January participants are between 25 and 34<\/p>\n
How many people are taking part in Dry January?<\/p>\n
Our survey of 2,000 UK adults found that almost one in four people plan to give up alcohol this January. That equates to around 13 million people nationwide choosing sobriety for the month.<\/p>\n
While that\u2019s a significant shift in consumer behaviour, opinion is split. Nearly half of respondents said they won\u2019t be taking part at all, highlighting that January trading isn\u2019t disappearing \u2013 it\u2019s changing.<\/p>\n
Younger generations are driving the trend<\/p>\n
The research revealed a clear generational divide when it comes to Dry January:<\/p>\n
43 per cent of millennials (aged 25 to34) plan to take part<\/p>\n
just 12 per cent of people aged 55 and over say the same<\/p>\n
For pub owners, this matters. Younger customers are more likely to expect low- and no-alcohol options as well as experiences that aren\u2019t centred solely around drinking.<\/p>\n
Dry January participation varies by region<\/p>\n
Dry January participation also varies widely across the UK:<\/p>\n
London has the highest uptake, with one in three (39 per cent) of residents planning to go alcohol-free this month<\/p>\n
Scotland shows the lowest participation, with just 13 per cent in Glasgow and 15 per cent in Edinburgh taking part<\/p>\n
Understanding local customer behaviour can help pub owners decide whether to lean into alcohol-free offerings, or focus efforts elsewhere.<\/p>\n
Why January hits pubs so hard<\/p>\n
January is already a difficult month for hospitality businesses. After the festive rush, footfall drops, disposable income tightens, and operating costs remain high.<\/p>\n
Neil Gorman, owner of Arrowz Lounge in Broxburn, explains:<\/p>\n
\u201cJanuary footfall is probably less than half a normal month \u2013 and even more so in comparison to December which, by contrast, is the busiest.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut it\u2019s understandable. Customers are probably a bit tired of the over indulgence through Christmas and New Year and the early weeks in January are often seen as an opportunity to dry out.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019d say people are more inclined to not go out in January. We don\u2019t see a huge upturn in non-alcoholic drinks being purchased \u2013 though there may be more regulars who choose a soft drink if it\u2019s for a quick visit.\u201d<\/p>\n
How pubs are adapting to Dry January<\/p>\n
Many venues are responding proactively by rethinking what January looks like. Common approaches include:<\/p>\n
expanding low- and no-alcohol drink ranges<\/p>\n
hosting community-focused events, such as quiz nights or live entertainment<\/p>\n
creating Dry January-friendly menus to appeal to mixed groups<\/p>\n
These strategies can help maintain footfall, even if alcohol sales dip.<\/p>\n
A challenging backdrop for the pub industry<\/p>\n
The findings come at a difficult time for the sector. Estimates from the British Beer and Pub Association previously suggested that one pub would close every day in 2025.<\/p>\n
Against this backdrop, the government is expected to announce changes to how business rates are calculated for pubs<\/a>, following widespread pressure from pub owners and campaigners. These reforms aim to limit increases in business rate bills<\/a> and could provide much-needed relief for struggling venues.<\/p>\n Our earlier research as part of our Bleak Friday<\/a> campaign revealed that, without meaningful support, UK pubs could face extinction by 2035.<\/p>\n Supporting local pubs this January<\/p>\n Julie Fisher, UK CEO at Simply Business, highlights the importance of backing independent venues:<\/p>\n \u201cOften a quiet month for footfall, January can be stressful for pub owners. As consumers look to save money following a busy festive period, alongside those taking part in Dry January, many small business owners rely on a successful Christmas trading period to support them through the first month of the year.<\/p>\n \u201cAs some estimates show that one pub closed every day last year, we must do all we can to support these local hubs.\u201d<\/p>\n Whether customers are choosing a pint, a glass of wine, or an alcohol-free alternative, continued support from local communities can make a real difference during one of the hardest months of the year.<\/p>\n More guides for small hospitality businesses<\/p>\n Insight compiled from a survey of 2,000 UK adults (nationally representative) conducted by Censuswide for Simply Business in January 2026<\/p>\n Censuswide abides by and employs members of the Market Research Society and follows the MRS code of conduct and ESOMAR principles. Censuswide is also a member of the British Polling Council.<\/p>\n Cost estimates are based on ONS UK population figures and the average reported drop in pub spending from a survey of 2,000 consumers.<\/p>\n ONS mid-year population figure for those aged 18+ = 55,022,253 \/ 100 x 24.25% of respondents taking part in Dry Jan = 13,342,896.35 (13 Million) Brits taking part.\u00a0<\/p>\n 13,342,896.35 x \u00a34.48 (difference between stated typical monthly pub spend and expected January pub spend) = 59,776,175.64 (\u00a359 Million) estimated loss.<\/p>\n Ready to set up your cover?<\/p>\n As one of the UK\u2019s biggest business insurance<\/a> providers, we specialise in public liability insurance<\/a> and protect more trades than anybody else. Why not take a look now and build a quick, tailored quote?<\/p>\n This content is for general, informational purposes only and is not intended to provide legal, tax, accounting, or financial advice. Please obtain expert advice from industry-specific professionals who may better understand your business\u2019s needs.\u00a0Read our full disclaimer<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"January is traditionally one of the toughest months of the year for pubs. But new research from Simply…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":371505,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[59,57,58,50,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-371504","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-united-kingdom","tag-gb","tag-great-britain","tag-greatbritain","tag-news","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/371504","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=371504"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/371504\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/371505"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=371504"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=371504"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=371504"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}