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01-07-2016, 09:43
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I’ve another example of the past as a foreign country for you. In relation to pubs and shops.

For the younger amongst you, I’ll point out that off-licences didn’t use to be as numerous as they are now. And that pretty much 100% of pubs sold drinks to be consumed off the premises. So they were to some extent in direct competition with shops, especially for beer sales.


'WOULD BE UNFAIR TO INNKEEPERS'
Minchinhampton Off Licence Refused
OPPOSED by the local innkeepers whose view was that it represented unfair competition, an application made to the Nailsworth Licensing Justices yesterday Mr. Frederick John Jarman, on behalf of World's Stores Ltd., Market-place, Henley-on-Thames, for an off-licence to sell bottled beer at Walker's Stores, Minchinhampton, was refused.

Mr. Conway Clifford (briefed by Messrs. Winterbotham, Ball and Gadsden) represented the applicant and he suggested that as the shop had an off-licence to sell wines and spirits it would be odd If they were not allowed also to sell bottled beer and cider.

Mrs. C. G. Tombs, the manageress of the shop, said there was a demand from customers for beer and cider.

Mr. Clifford, who said there were 15 customers in Court who were prepared to support the application, called three of them, —Mrs. Winifred Howell, High-st., Minchinhampton; Mrs. Ivy Florence Rimes, Avening, and Mrs. Lilian Fletcher, Gatcombe, Minchinhampton who agreed it would be a convenience if the licence were granted.

Opposition
The application was opposed by Mr. J. Lapage Norris, who appeared for the Stroud and District Licensed Victuallers Association and the Minchinhampton innkeepers. The needs of the district, he said, were adequately met by the existing licensed houses and he suggested that it would be unfair for the local innkeepers to be subjected to competition from a big combine.

Mr. Harold Bird, secretary of the Licensed Victuallers Association said there were seven Inns within 100 yards of Walkers Stores; supplies were adequate and the licensees were prepared, if necessary, to deliver.

Mr. H. T. Farmer, licensee of the Salutation Inn said supplies of beer were in excess of demand and innkeepers were to-day finding it difficult to sell as much as the limited war-time allocations.

A letter was read from the Clerk of the Minchinhampton Parish Council intimating that the Council was not in favour of the application and Supt. W. Hart said in the opinion of the police Minchinhampton was well catered for at the present time.

Refusing to grant the application, the Chairman (Mr. G. W. Powell) said the Court considered a case had not been made out.”
Gloucester Citizen - Friday 10 February 1950, page 6.
Seven pubs within 100 yards? There doesn’t seem to be a single pub in Minchinhampton today.

During the war, with brewers limited in the amount of beer they were allowed to brew, they effectively rationed the amount of beer a pub could get. But with a fall in beer sales after the war ended, the shortage of beer disappeared. Meaning pubs were selling quite a bit less beer than they had before 1939. At that level of sales some pubs were undoubtedly struggling to turn a profit.

Here are some numbers to show how many more off-licences there are now than in the 1950’s:



Licences in England and Wales 1945 - 2004


Date
Pub licences
Off Licences
total
% off licences


1945
72,960
21,599
94,559
22.84%


1946
73,026
21,693
94,719
22.90%


1947
73,232
21,848
95,080
22.98%


1948
75,384
22,025
97,409
22.61%


1949
73,422
22,218
95,640
23.23%


1950
73,483
23,532
97,015
24.26%


1951
73,421
23,669
97,090
24.38%


1952
73,368
23,717
97,085
24.43%


1953
73,220
23,810
97,030
24.54%


1954
72,973
23,863
96,836
24.64%


1955
71,244
23,548
94,792
24.84%


1956
70,875
23,531
94,406
24.93%


1957
70,353
23,517
93,870
25.05%


1958
69,913
23,530
93,443
25.18%


1959
69,455
23,571
93,026
25.34%


1960
69,184
23,670
92,854
25.49%


1991
74,299
47,944
122,243
39.22%


1992
74,053
46,063
120,116
38.35%


1994
75,522
47,735
123,257
38.73%


1995
75,392
45,986
121,378
37.89%


1997
78,098
47,753
125,851
37.94%


1998
77,934
45,425
123,359
36.82%


2000
77,876
45,450
123,326
36.85%


2001
78,540
44,696
123,236
36.27%


2003
81,933
47,478
129,411
36.69%


2004
81,455
46,582
128,037
36.38%


Sources:


Brewers' Almanack 1971, page 83.


2011 Statistical Handbook of the BBPA, page 74




At one time off-licences had been almost as difficult to obtain as a pub licence. When it was made easier, the number of off-licences increased significantly, as you can see in the table.

Nowadays, of course, it’s impossible for a pub to compete with supermarkets for off sales. Which is why pub off-licence departments have disappeared.

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