Wed 25th Nov 2015 - Greene King – October saw a 9% leisure spend rise thanks to rugby and James Bond Greene King – October saw a 9% leisure spend rise thanks to rugby and James Bond: Excitement around the Rugby World Cup and the cinema release of Spectre contributed to Brits spending 9% more on leisure in October, the Greene King Leisure Spend Tracker has revealed. In October, household leisure spend across Britain was up £18 compared to October last year. This increase was prompted primarily by a 13% increase in other leisure spending, which includes admissions to the cinema, theatre and live sporting events – although expenditure on eating out and drinking out also rose significantly. Across all categories, year-on-year growth in spend in eating out and other leisure was significantly stronger amongst family households than amongst those without kids, indicating a higher spend around half term and Halloween than the same time last year. In October, the average British household spent £206 on out of home leisure, a 9% increase year-on-year. Total leisure spend growth was predominantly driven by family households who saw a 17% year-on-year rise, compared to 4% among those without kids. Family households spent 23% more on other leisure year-on-year compared to those without kids who increased their spending by just 2%. Spend on both eating out and drinking out also increased by 5% and 11% respectively year-on-year. Households in London and the south east increased their spend on out of home leisure by 8% year-on-year versus a 10% rise among households in the rest of Britain. Specific increases in other leisure spend have been seen in gambling and live sporting events, most likely a result of the final stages of the Rugby World Cup. The second most popular leisure activity, behind other live events, was trips to the theatre and cinema which rose following the release of the latest Bond installment, Spectre, as well as initial sales of tickets for pre-Christmas theatre trips. The rise in spend on eating out, which was up 5%, was again prompted by family households who contributed a 14% rise, versus only a 2% rise in those without kids. Drinking out spend saw a considerable increase of 11% for both households with and without kids. Fiona Gunn, Greene King group marketing director, said: “Drinking out, eating out and other leisure increased this month as Brits across the country reached for their wallets to enjoy sporting and festive occasions. Halloween, the closing stages of the Rugby World Cup, Spectre and half term in particular boosted spending as customers continue to benefit from rising real wages.”