staurants, and this has altered the business equation.
One common denominator throughout 'Downturn in Dining' is the notion that eating out is now firmly embedded in European culture, particularly the UK. The simple fact is that eating out is not a luxury thing to do anymore and as consumers become more time-strapped they look to the market to make their lives more convenient. Backing up this theory are the hard facts. Between 1996 and 2008, the amount spending on eating out rose from 4% to 33.7% of total food expenditure. Quick service restaurants (QSR) continue to grow on average by 4.4% every year and chain concepts grow 8.4% every year, according to Rabobank. Social and demographic trends are favoring restaurants, whose customers are generally older and wealthier, Mitchells & Butlers turnover has increased in recent last years but the challenge will be compete against unknown forces like substantial cost increases, particularly in the areas of duty, employment, food and energy costs. White regulatory costs are effectively known, with duty rising by ￡ 9 million and employment costs by ￡ 11 million, the commodity and energy input costs are proving highly volatile and unpredictable. It is not just the tax on beer that is to blame. The support given by Government to Supermarket chain organization is tremendous regarding tax reductions etc. Supermarkets are a large part of the problem, with their below-cost alcohol deals.
Economy 经济
This is the national and international economic situation in which business as a whole operates. Business in general will fare much better if the economy is growing than if it is in recession (Sloman and john, 2005).In May 2009 the European Commission (EC) stated: "The UK economy is now clearly experiencing one of its worst recessions in recent history." The EC expected some positive sign in early 2010, followed by a gradual return to "slight positive growth by late 2010".
"An increase of 2% above inflation will actually amount to over 5% and brings the total increase in duty to more than 25% in the past two years." "This further increase in duty, in addition to increased overheads, means pubs will now receive just 23 pence profit from the sale of a ￡3 pint of beer."Added to the existing pressure from the economic downturn and increasing competition from below-cost supermarket pricing, the survival of many pubs is now in serious jeopardy. 40 pubs are closing each week, resulting in job losses (24,000 jobs lost in sector in 2009) and millions of pounds lost to the economy.
There are a number of connected factors that play a role in the closure of pubs, including the impact of the economic downturn, recent legislative changes such as smoke free legislation, and changing social habits. However, the licensed trade also argues that rising costs have been a key factor in pub closures. Pubs are also closing in anticipation of gaining planning permission for conversion to higher value uses such as housing. Current trading is underpinning the performance in the first half of the financial year however the outlook for the second half is uncertain. It is clear that at a macro level some of the factors that are assisting performance may turn negative in the second half. In particular the outlook for disposable income and consumer confidence could be dampened if VAT and other taxes were to rise. Notwithstanding this, Mitchells & Butlers' strong brands, excellent sites and good operational skills leave the business well positioned.
Social 社会
People are important in the economy as both producers and consumers of goods an
