Why are pubs and restaurants so important?

Anyone losing their job is a personal tragedy, and it must be galling for people working in an affected sector to see online discussions about who is more worthy of support.

Trying to be dispassionate, however, I think there is a difference between hospitality and retail, as hospitality provides a way for people to enjoy being together, an environment that is separate from work (or home, if that is where they spend their day) and an opportunity for people to meet possible partners. Retail, on the other hand, exists to encourage consumerism, and lockdowns have shown that many of us have become used to buying less and realising that we can manage perfectly well without so many 'things'.

If hospitality venues close, it will impact on people's lifestyles, whereas if shops close there is always somewhere else to get the goods if we need them.

Nevertheless, for individual employees in either sector, it is a dreadful time, and the fact that this is playing out on TV, and that it is happening at Christmas is doubly awful.

Pantglas2

And here’s me thinking I’m doing my bit to support shops and restaurants whilst I can here in Wales and all along it’s another Let’s Bring Brexit Bitchfest Back on Board.....

I wouldn't call a couple of words in one post a bitchfest.

grrrr Philip Green - I loved BhS and will never forgive him

And here’s me thinking I’m doing my bit to support shops and restaurants whilst I can here in Wales and all along it’s another Let’s Bring Brexit Bitchfest Back on Board.....

I think that I shouldn't have mentioned Philip Green because he's a distraction from my point about little thought being given to the shop workers. Perhaps I should have mentioned the car workers who have either lost their jobs or are about to when the manufacturers leave.

Maybe we make a fuss about bars & restaurants because they are safer places to meet up and socialise? That’s why when they have to lockdown it makes the news. No gatherings in houses now and it’s too cold to sit in gardens and parks!

Must be terrible when you're down to your last few million !
He won't give a hang about his workers who put him where he is.
Where are all those people going to find jobs when there are ghost-towns wherever you look ? What a prospect.

I have seen it reported that Mr Phillip Green has as many as four luxury yachts moored in different upmarket playgrounds around the world. In that, such is his concern for all those losing their jobs that Green has not even bothered to leave his luxury Monaco living to return to Britain to assist in the attempt by the Arcadia board to save the company.

It is once again being reported that there is a three hundred and fifty million pound black hole in the company pension scheme which is on a par with what was found to be required for the BHS pension scheme when that retailer collapsed.

I think one word sums up this man and his wife, that being "B*st*rds". Very much the unacceptable face of British capitalism.

I agree with the original poster; far more attention is being paid to the closure of pubs, and the effect on their customers, than to the huge loss of jobs in retail. I am sorry for the people involved in pub and restaurant management but hopefully after the pandemic business will pick up again.

Phillip Green and Mike Ashley are prime movers in destroying the High Street, and Phillip Green, after plundering the pensions fund, has much of his fortune stowed safely in his wife's name.

The only High Street Store which hasn’t got an online presence is Primark, they seem to be bucking the trend and still in profit.

Blinko

In view of his demonstrably couldn't care less attitude to the plight of Arcadia staff, it could be said that Green is the unacceptable face of capitalism.

What an unpleasant creature.

You can say that again!
"Sir" Philip Green bought the Arcadia Group, paid his wife a £1.2 billion dividend, has left a £360 million hole in his employees pension fund! No more than an asset stripper.
He should be stripped of his knighthood asap.
His corporate peers recognise him as the shyster he really is.

The only comment I would make about Top Shop and Arcadia per se, I saw Alexandra Shulman being interviewed last week I think, and she said that whilst Top Shop had been at the cutting edge of high street fashion for a younger demographic, it had been left behind because, Philip Green was somewhat of a dinosaur as far as on line sales are concerned, can't remember what she said exactly, but I think her observations were relating to web sites or lack of them, and how Philip Green's empire had been overtaken by other enterprises more savvy in the importance of a strong on line presence. I gather from talking to my husbands granddaughters, all twenty somethings, they pretty much order their stuff on line. I can understand that we have two large department stores in my nearby town, one is John Lewis very good website, the other part of the Fenwick group has an almost non existent web site, or had the last time I wanted to order something from them, exasperating imo how do they expect to weather these awful times.

Yes I agree Philip Green is the unacceptable face of capitalism. I believe I read that awful asset stripper man who bought BHS has now gone inside, hope that's true.

To answer the OP, pubs and restaurants, particularly those that attract regulars provide a welcoming community. Often they are the first point where if a regular is missing, there is concern and someone that cares. Often contributing to the wider community with charity events, family days, coffee mornings for the elderly and a place to sort getting little jobs done. Restaurants too are convivial for family events, a treat meal out, even Christmas lunch for some. Shops, you go in, buy something and leave.
I deliberately haven’t touched on the economics, others are doing that.

My young disappearing. Shame no investment was made to go online.

It's awful for shops and hospitality alike. I agree with GrannyGravy.It's not always about the alcohol. Our local is great. The staff are lovely. They hold a weekly quiz, have fund raising functions etc. We never see anyone drunk. This pub is a community pub rather than a boozers pub. People go in there for company. There is one chap in his 80s who said to us that if he didn't go in for his weekly pint, he'd rarely see anyone.

DD and I are going to buy multiple pairs of skinny jeans online today from Top Shop that should see us for a couple of years and give us time to try out different brands!!

I have no worries about MR Green ..f he didn't lose his knighthood ove BHS he damn well should have .The pensions are a worry in Arcadia will he do the same thing again?
As to bars and restaurants ,yes they have been badly hit but so have millions of others who are never mentioned ,all those self employed people who have n't "qualified" for any financial help since March.Many at their wits end,no income and no hope of any .
As some on here will know we are photographers and a massive number of folk in not just photography but a lot of other small /one man busnesses haven't made a penny since the first lockdown.All the events suppliers I know are almost suicidal
.This is the quietest time of the year for the wedding industry so the venue dressers and events mangers etc dont have a hope in hell of making anything back .When the pubs and restaurants reopen people will flood in that, wont happen for our industry.
I'm thankful we're at the end of our careers,we were retiring next year anyway,its been brought forward because of covid but we have lost tens of thousands of pounds this year my heart goes out to the young folk who enthusiastically opened their wee businesses to this disaster and have earned nothing to put in the pot for the lean time .

This according to Google is the ownership structure of Next.

Looks like pension fund/ISA investment companies have a big stake.

They have diversified and hopefully will be able to weather the Covid storm

GrannyGravy13

Callistemon yes I know that thank you, I was responding to MaizieD who included Next in her list

Oh, sorry, I thought you'd missed my list at the top of the thread

It's just accelerating what was going to happen to the high street shops anyway. Next got its act together a long while ago with the directory and offering financial services. The others rested on their laurels.

Local pubs are/can be the heart of the community. Some have little shops attached, for folks living alone they can be a lifeline.

They are not just about alcohol, they sell coffees teas and soft drinks and the profit margin on non-alcoholic beverages and food is usually greater than alcohol.

In view of his demonstrably couldn't care less attitude to the plight of Arcadia staff, it could be said that Green is the unacceptable face of capitalism.

What an unpleasant creature.

I am in the vulnerable group married to an older man which puts him in the vulnerable group. This virus has a 99.4% recovery rate and we are literally killing our Country.

I am perfectly willing to stay home to let the UK rebuild itself.

They do seem to be fixated on going to the pub! I read that about 20% of the population are alcohol dependent but there does seem to be a culture of going to the pub to watch football etc.
Feel sorry for landlords but I wouldn't miss pubs at all as I am never in one.

GG13 I don't know what group Next belongs to all I can say is if it too goes under I will certainly know the world is against me.