Licensed Premises Closures Highlight Difficult Trading Environment
New data from CGA by NIQ reveals a 0.6% drop in UK licensed venues over the past year, emphasizing ongoing challenges in hospitality.
As of September 2025, there were 99,296 licensed premises, with 572 net closures recorded in 12 months, equivalent to 11 closures every week.
This translates to 15,812 fewer premises than in March 2020.
Modest Recovery in Q3 2025
Despite the overall decline, Q3 2025 saw a modest recovery, with independent operators showing resilience and growth.
- Independent sector grew by 0.9%.
- Number of pubs and bars increased slightly (0.6%) in the latest quarter.
The data highlights the very difficult trading environment for licensed premises.
Author's summary: UK licensed premises face challenges with 11 closures per week.