The first results of the new Cultural Enterprises Monthly Commercial Performance Barometer are now live and available for members. The results, collected and compiled by our partners at Decision House, come in the form of an interactive dashboard which members can filter via various fields to examine the data most pertinent to them and their venues.
Members can access the January dashboard here.
The January Commercial Performance Barometer, which has received data and insights from over 100 UK cultural venues, reveals a mixed picture for the sector at the start of 2025. Overall admissions are down 4% compared to January 2024, with qualitative feedback pointing to weather, temporary closures, and the ongoing cost-of-living crisis as significant negative influences. However, successful temporary exhibitions and high-end product sales have driven positive performance in some cases. And despite overall challenges with visitor numbers, a majority of participating members have expressed cautious optimism regarding commercial activity, with 47% reporting excellent or good commercial performance in January, and 66% feeling positive about the next 12 months.
A deeper dive into the data reveals that the decline in admissions is not uniform. Free attractions experienced only a 1% drop, while paid attractions saw an 8% decrease, suggesting cost-conscious visitors are opting for free experiences. Indoor attractions held steady, while outdoor/mixed attractions suffered an 11% decline, highlighting the impact of adverse weather. This weather impact is further evidenced by a sector breakdown, with heritage sites experiencing a larger drop than museums and galleries. Combining these factors, indoor and free attractions remained level, while outdoor and paid attractions saw the steepest declines, solidifying weather as a primary driver.
In contrast to admissions, catering and retail spend showed positive trends. Catering saw a 5% increase in Average Transaction Value (ATV) and a 7% rise in Spend Per Visit (SPV), indicating a potential revenue increase in line with inflation. Retail also performed well, with a 1% increase in ATV and a significant 8% increase in SPV, suggesting improved conversion rates. These results indicate that while visitor numbers may be affected by external factors, those who do visit are happy to spend more for a quality experience.
As an additional point of interest, members may like to know the average price for an Americano served in cafés at cultural venues. The average price comes out at £3.18, though there is significant regional variance – which you can see for yourself when you filter accordingly in the dashboard!
To participate in the February Commercial Benchmarking report please check with your Association lead contact, who will receive next month’s survey link on Monday 10 March.
Please contact tom@culturalenterprises.org.uk to change who receives your survey link.
