Thu 9th Feb 2017 - Brits steer clear of 'Dry January' as pay weekend proves as popular as ever Brits steer clear of 'Dry January' as pay weekend proves as popular as ever – Deltic Night Index report: Despite becoming a buzzword, more than two-thirds of people didn’t partake in “Dry January” in 2017 while the month’s pay weekend proved as popular as ever, according to the latest Deltic Night Index report. The Deltic Group’s second quarterly report into the UK’s late-night economy revealed women have more willpower than men, with those who partook in Dry January lasting almost 14 days on average versus men at 11 days. The average Briton who took part lasted 12 days before giving up, while one in seven didn’t even make it to one week before having an alcoholic drink. The report also showed Dry January is more popular with younger generations, with almost half (45%) of 18 to 21-year-olds taking part this year compared with only 17% of those aged 56-plus. Despite the failed resolutions, almost 70% of respondents did not partake in Dry January in 2017, a fall from 84% the previous year. Despite the November to January late-night leisure spend being down, January pay weekend proved as popular as ever, with one in five respondents – and 40% of 18 to 21-year-olds – celebrating pay weekend by visiting a club or bar and 16% of Brits choosing to go to the pub. More than a third of 18 to 21-year-olds spent more money in clubs and bars in this period than on other forms of late-night leisure. Brits who went for a late night out on January pay weekend spent an average of £35.48, while the average night out lasted four hours and 21 minutes, an increase of one hour and three minutes from the previous quarter. Nearly a quarter (24%) of Brits that went on late nights out said they usually went with their partner, an increase of 5% from the last quarter, while 27% of respondents aged 26 to 30 went on a late night out at least two to three times a week. Brits spent £52 on an average night out during the period, down 10% (£5.74) compared with the previous quarter. The report found recommendations remain the most important factor when choosing where to go on a night out. The importance of Facebook decreased, whereas Instagram’s grew. Deltic Group said the data supported the trend that although the younger generation were drinking less, bars and clubs continued to be a popular late-night activity across all ages. The Deltic Group chief executive Peter Marks said: “The second Deltic Night Index shows that even though people – and specifically young people – are taking part in Dry January and drinking less alcohol than the older generations, they’re still going out just as much and enjoying themselves in a club, bar or pub, as shown by the popularity of these late-night activities over the pay weekend. It’s now less about alcohol and more about creating a fantastic night out. With that in mind, we’re continuing to invest in our clubs, music offering and entertainment to make sure we’re giving our guests unforgettable experiences. What we have found is that over the festive season people tend to go out more often and for longer however in January this is reversed. For us the fact that the average amount spent on a late night out is down for this quarter is no surprise when you look at the period as a whole (November to January). There is a very long gap between the December and January pay days coupled with tighter personal finances following Christmas. Traditionally, January is a quiet month for the whole sector and this is reflected in our data. However, it is fantastic to see that the January pay weekend remains a key event in the late-night sector with many choosing to spend it in pubs, bars and clubs.”