February 2025 results from the Association for Cultural Enterprises’ Commercial Performance Barometer have now been published and the results are mixed. For the second consecutive month, admissions are down 4% on 2024 – relatively consistent across regions, venue size and venue type. Whilst there are signs of a trend, we shouldn’t draw too many conclusions just yet. In January venues had to grapple with Storm Eowyn – the worst storm in 10 years – and some parts of the country had a one week half-term this February, compared to two weeks in 2024.
The overall drop in admissions doesn’t tell the whole story. 34% of organisations experienced an increase in admissions versus last year, with shining lights such as Liverpool Cathedral reporting double digit growth for the second consecutive month. As they stated in January, “through the success of our art installation, we have learned that January and February don’t have to be ‘quiet’ months, which is what has been the case in previous years.”
There are more positive signs when it comes to secondary spend. Catering ATV (average transaction value) is up 4%, and SPV (spend per visitor) up 6%. Similarly, retail ATV is 4% higher than last year and spend per visitor 2% higher. Overall, these strong secondary spend figures do not translate to higher revenue (particularly when accounting for inflation), but they do highlight the importance of venues’ commercial arm in making up for revenue lost through admissions.
Finally, this month’s special question reveals that the average price of a single postcard is 73p, rising to £1.03 in London and falling to 64p in Scotland. If you remember, last month we learned that the most expensive Americano could be purchased in Scotland, so their cheaper postcards may be a welcome boost for visitors!
That’s our summary of the findings, but members can learn much more via the Association’s online dashboard where you can filter results by sub-group and merge months. The Association has now had nearly 200 sites contribute to the Barometer in some form, and is looking forward to continuing to grow this service in the coming months.
For more information about the Monthly Commercial Performance Barometer service from the Association for Cultural Enterprises click here.
