New national research by cocktail bar Manahatta revealed that more than a quarter of Brits would rather stay in bed than say yes to a last-minute invite
Spontaneity is disappearing from British social life, according to new national research. Findings revealed that 89% of people now plan their social activities in advance rather than being spontaneous, with 40% citing cost as the main reason for planning ahead.
The research, conducted with UK adults aged between 18-45, by cocktail bar Manahatta, also revealed a nation reluctant to say yes on the night. More than half (57%) said that if a friend asked them to go out tonight, with no notice, they would say no, and of those turning the invite down, 29% would rather stay on the sofa or in bed than head out to see friends.
Same-day plans are officially declining, with just 7% planning a night out with friends on the same day but a third (34%) planning a week or more ahead.
Only a quarter (25%) had done something spontaneous within the last week, and more than a third (36%) said they’d only been spontaneous once in the past month.
Laura Lewis, Marketing Director at Manahatta, said: “Spontaneity shouldn’t be a luxury. Our research shows that the vast majority of us want to say yes to last-minute invites, we’re just held back by cost, or the fact that everything needs advance booking. We wanted to give people a reason, and an easy way, to say yes more often.”
Key findings at a glance:
- 89% of people plan their social activities ahead, rather than being spontaneous
- 40% say they plan in advance because of cost and to allow for budgeting
- 18%, nearly 1 in 5, did nothing spontaneous in the past month
- 57% would say no to a friend asking them out tonight; of those, 29% would pick the sofa or bed over seeing friends
- Only 7% plan a night out with friends on the same day; a third (34%) plan a week or more ahead, with an average lead time of almost 8 days
- 22% haven’t been spontaneous in the past month, or can’t remember the last time they were; 36% have only been spontaneous once
- Just 1 in 4 (25%) did something spontaneous in the last week
The research revealed that cost and the need to book or make reservations are the two biggest barriers to spontaneity. Manahatta is helping change that, making it easy to drop in for lunch, a casual catch-up, after-work drinks or a night out, with no need to book or dress up.
Laura Lewis, added, “We want Manahatta to be the answer whenever someone plan asks, ‘shall we?’ whether it’s joining us at lunchtime for our Manahatta Meal Deal, after work for Happy Hour, or last thing at night for something from our extensive cocktail list. There’s no need to make a booking or spend time worrying what to wear, the only planning you need to do is walking through the door.”
Manahatta’s new £5 Happy Hour runs Sunday to Friday, 4-8pm, at its venues in Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, Newcastle, Nottingham, Sheffield and York. Madri, Guinness, wine and classic and spicy margaritas are all included. The venues are also offering 2 cocktails for £15 on selected days, with £8 cocktails available at Manahatta Edinburgh.
For more information and offer details, visit: https://www.manahatta.co.uk/