How to Increase Trade in your Pub

Owning a pub has never been an easy job, and many landlords will be the first to tell you this. However, if you do have a pub that seems to be low on trade, don’t panic straight away. 

There are several different ways you can try to increase trade in your pub, and in this guide, we’ll talk you through our top techniques. 

Why are less people going to the pub? 

There are a number of different reasons why less people go into pubs nowadays. From the cost of living crisis, to younger people drinking less and to the pandemic still having a knock-on effect, even now in 2024. 

However, this doesn’t mean you can’t find a way to increase trade in your pub. It may take a bit of hard work, but by working on your marketing, you should be able to increase visitors coming to your pub and therefore increase trade.

7 ways to increase trade in your pub

Enhance your online presence 

First and foremost, you should be looking for ways to encourage new customers to come through the door. More and more potential customers are using digital tools to find local things to do in that area, and that includes visiting pubs. 

There are two significant ways you can increase your online presence:

• Social Media - A great way to increase your online presence is by being present on social media. You should be regularly posting about any events you have coming up, what offers you have, any menu changes and sharing the experience of your guests.

 

You should also encourage visitors to tag you in their posts. This is a great way to spread the word about your pub and your guests do the hard work for you.

• Search Results - When someone is looking for a pub, they are likely to Google keywords like ‘pubs near me’ or ‘best pub in x location’; and it’s very likely they are going to do this on mobile.

Due to this, it is vital that your website includes specific keywords and that you have a Google Business Profile. This way, your pub will show up (hopefully in the top results) when people search these specific terms. Don’t forget to encourage your visitors to leave reviews as this will also help with your rankings on Google. 

Start promotions and happy hours 

Promotions and happy hours can increase pub sales and encourage new customers to come through the door. Sometimes all it takes to get an advantage over your local competitors is to have incentives that they don’t offer, such as 2 for 1 drinks and set lunch deals. 

Try to pair food and drink together when creating a promotion as this can lead to increased trade by offering an overall more profitable deal. Themes and holidays are another great way to give people the perfect excuse to attend your pub. 

If you are going to have some promotions or offers, make sure you share it online!

Get involved with the local community 

Putting your pub at the forefront of your local community can increase trade by getting more people through the door. 

Making yourself part of the local community is important for any pub's marketing plan, since making your locals feel welcomed and appreciated can go a long way. Not only will it help your customers to have a great time, but it can increase numbers due to loyalty and recommendations. 

Some ways you can get involved with your community include:

• Volunteering for a good cause

• Sponsoring a local sports team

• Supporting local businesses

• Offering your pub as a space for clubs and groups 

Start a pub quiz

Pub quizzes are a great way to attract a variety of different customers into your pub since they appeal to all ages. A quality quiz night can allow your visitors to loosen up, have fun with their friends and have some delicious food and drink too. 

Hosting a pub quiz is an ideal way to beat the mid-week slump that you may experience. They provide great, light entertainment for many busy workers who are looking for a way to relax after work and are another great way to engage with your local community. 

Again, if you’re going to host a pub quiz, make sure you share it online. We have a full guide on how to promote your pub quiz night for more useful tips and tricks. We even have a FREE poster maker that you can use too.  

At Quiz on Demand, we know gathering all the resources you need for a pub quiz isn’t the easiest thing to do, especially if you already have a lot on your plate. That’s why we’ve created our own fun and unique pub quizzes that are the perfect, simple solution for any quizmaster to prepare. 

If you prefer to have a specific theme to match any promotions you’re offering, you can head over to our quiz shop. Here, you’ll find a full range of different quizzes, from music to sports, and even holiday themed quizzes too. 

Free Quizzes?

Check out the latest FREE Weekly Blog, a must for all landlords and managers. It includes a free weekly themed quiz, this week’s birthdays, this week’s football on TV and this week in history - a great promotional tool for planning out and theming the mid-week entertainment!

Revamp your decor

If you can afford to, revamping your decor is a great way to increase trade in your pub and encourage new customers to walk through the door.

If your pub has been a little bit neglected in terms of decor, there are a few simple things you can do to turn it into a stylish and modern pub that will entice people in. 

Way to improve the aesthetics of your pub include:

• Repainting the walls in a clean, fresh colour

• Getting rid of old carpets and replacing them with easy to clean floors

• Getting new furniture or upholstering the current ones you have 

• Improving its curb appeal

• Buying modern glassware

The saying less is more is never usually wrong, and you can apply this to your pub. If you have too many items cluttered around the bar or in your pub in general, it can easily look messy and unprofessional. Try to be mindful about what you put out in front of your customers as it can very easily sway their opinion on your pub. 

Introduce new items 

If you’re a more traditional pub that tends to serve real ales, draughts and wines, it might be a good idea to expand your drinks menu to include cocktails. 

Groups of people will often choose to go elsewhere if they don’t feel the needs of every member are met, which is why you should try to appeal to everyone; even if that means having a few basic cocktails on the menu. 

Some basic cocktails you could serve include:

• Juice based cocktails

• Martinis, both regular and fruit flavoured 

• Mojitos 

• Margaritas

• Negronis

Encourage your staff to upsell 

Your staff are one of your biggest assets when it comes to increasing trade at your pub, which is why you should train them to upsell and invest in their training for top notch customer service. 

Upselling is simply the process of getting your customers to buy more of your products. A good example of upselling is offering discounted prices when customers buy multiple drinks. You will usually see this with shots and chasers, where 4 drinks will cost a specific amount of money. 

You can also encourage your staff to offer free tasters for specific drinks as it often results in the customer purchasing it as a drink. For example, if someone is at your bar undecided about what drink they want, you could offer for them to try a new spirit or draft lager that you have. If they like it, it is likely that they will buy that drink.