Wed 21st Sep 2016 - Greene King Leisure Tracker – eating and drinking out drives leisure spend increase in August Greene King Leisure Tracker – eating and drinking out drives leisure spend increase in August: Eating and drinking out drove an increase in leisure spend in August as households took advantage of both the school holidays and the end of the summer weather, according to the latest Greene King Leisure Spend Tracker. The average British household spent £229 on out-of-home leisure activities, which represented a £7 (3%) rise year-on-year and a £20 (10%) increase month-on-month. There was a year-on-year increase of £9 (10%) in spending on eating out continuing a trend that has seen five of the past seven months delivering year-on-year increases in spending. With better weather in the month than last year, drinking out enjoyed a strong month with a year-on-year increase of £7 (15%). However, the overall figure was partly offset by reduced spending on other leisure activities, which fell by £9 (10%) when compared with last year. The data also reveals the notable effect that one of Britain’s newest and most popular pastimes, Pokémon Go app, is having on the leisure industry. More than 40% of users surveyed said the app, which is based on augmented reality, has got them out of their homes more often than before, while almost a third admitted that they have visited social destinations, such as pubs and restaurants, as a result of playing the game. Meanwhile, the impact of the summer holiday period on households with children is clear with a month-on-month increase in other leisure spending of £32 (34%). Greene King group marketing director Rob Rees said: “Many British households enjoyed the last days of their summer by spending more on out-of-home leisure activities. This is likely to be a result of both the end of the school holidays and the positive weather seen across the country over the course of the month.”