Propel Newsletter Archive Page

Luminar turns away from branded nightclubs in favour of bespoke approach: The UK’s largest nightclub company Luminar has turned away from branded nightclubs in favour of bespoke sites for individual towns. The company is set to re-open its third unbranded site in Crawley next month, a former Liquid Envy after a £1m investment. It will be called Moka and move upmarket from its predecessor. Chief executive Peter Marks said: “In the past, the business model was to have brands of nightclubs across the country, but we are now looking to give them a bespoke feel and make them individual to the town they are in. In Crawley’s case, Liquid Envy had reached the end of its life and was in need of re-invention. Moka will have a state-of-the-art lighting rig supplying the wow factor. This will be one of the first places in the country to have it. The full LED lighting directly over the dance floor will look fantastic. It is a brilliant set up.” The new nightclub will also have a new outdoor smoking area. The smaller Envy part of the nightclub will remain closed for a year while Luminar observes the success of Moka. The Crawley venue closed last November when Luminar went into administration. It also had its opening hours cut to curb drink-related crime and disorder in October. “I know that things got difficult in Crawley but at the time the company didn't have the money to reinvest in its sites that needed help,” said Marks. Luminar has already opened two unbranded nightclubs after investment. It re-opened its York site as Kuda after a £750,000 last month and in Aberdeen, a former Liquid in Bridge Place has re-opened as The Institute after a £1.2m refurbishment. In an August Propel Morning Briefing Friday Opinion, Marks wrote: “For all the best management practices, you cannot win a loyal and regular customer if you are running tired and out-of-date premises, and this was at the heart of the problem in the first place. Much trade was lost to bars and newer clubs, but it can be won back again with a good refurbishment, sensible pricing and good management. There are plenty of examples of this and many successful clubs, yet there are those that think nightclubs can’t survive in this market. I completely disagree. The latent potential within the estate is huge. We have well-located premises and with sensible investment we will transform the clubs.”