UK venues losing £500m a year over 1 crucial customer detail

UK venues losing £500m a year over 1 crucial customer detail Substandard toilets are costing UK venues up to £491.8m a year as unhappy customers spend less and leave bad reviews. The UK hospitality sector could be missing out on almost £500 million because of grimy or inadequate toilets, new research suggests. The findings show toilet standards directly affect how much customers spend, online ratings and whether they return. A survey of 5,010 consumers found people spend an average of £4.50 more per visit when toilets exceed expectations — for example by being well stocked with toilet roll, soap and sanitary products. As a result, improving facilities could bring in up to £98 million in extra takings for restaurants, £63.5 million for hotels and £61.8 million for pubs. Combined with cinemas, gyms and museums, the total potential revenue boost is put at £491.8 million nationwide. The study, commissioned by hygiene and health firm Essity — which owns global washroom brand Tork — also polled 1,000 managers across the hospitality, leisure, entertainment and travel industries. It found 69% of venues are not meeting customer expectations. More specifically, 14% of managers admitted they do not properly cater for women during their periods, while 22% said they were not confident their facilities support guests with sensitive skin conditions. Meanwhile, 19% said they were uneasy about supporting people with incontinence, and 15% were unsure their toilets accommodate visitors with restricted mobility. Managers also highlighted gaps in facilities for neurodivergent guests (21%) and those experiencing anxiety or sensory difficulties (23%). And the OnePoll research found 23% of venues run out of toilet roll every day, while 19% regularly run out of paper towels. By contrast, 86% of adults said “inclusive hygiene” — comfortable, accessible toilets regardless of health status, ability, neurodiversity or age — is important to their experience. Almost half (48%) said they would leave a negative review if washroom standards were poor. James Cartwright, spokesperson for Essity, which recently published The Inclusive Hygiene Playbook to help venues improve accessibility, emphasised the commercial impact: “Washrooms are a critical part of customer experience." He added: "Our research shows when customers face hygiene barriers in washrooms, they are less likely to return, recommend the venue or spend as much during their visit. “But the good news is that by taking a broader view of hygiene, businesses have an opportunity to create more welcoming environments for all customers and this leads to an increased amount of time spent by customers in a venue, an increased average spend, repeat visits and positive online reviews, and all of this ultimately grows profits.” The research also found 68% of respondents have avoided using a venue’s washroom because it failed to meet their needs. Key reasons included poor cleanliness (79%), missing essentials such as toilet paper or hand-drying facilities (56%) and a lack of privacy (26%). Almost a quarter (23%) of venue operators said they had received critical online reviews or social media comments about their washrooms in the past year. While only 56% of operators were familiar with the concept of inclusive hygiene before the survey, 77% now say it is a major priority. Hannah Hart, head of philanthropy & partnerships for Crohn’s & Colitis UK, said: “For many people living with Crohn’s or Colitis, access to a toilet isn't simply a matter of convenience. “It can be the difference between feeling confident enough to go out and enjoy a meal, meet friends or spend time with family, and staying at home because the worry feels too great. “When you live with the urgent and unpredictable symptoms of these conditions, knowing there's a clean, accessible toilet available can make a huge difference. “It gives people the confidence to get out and enjoy everyday life. Good toilet facilities don't just improve the customer experience, they help people feel welcome and included. "And when more people feel able to visit restaurants, cafés, pubs and other venues, that's good news for hospitality businesses too.”