Staying in really is the new going out

Brits now prefer to entertain family and friends in the comfort of their own homes

Entertaining at home is more popular than ever according to research conducted by Experian's Future Foundation for leading wine brand, Gallo Family Vineyards. We now spend 5½ hours every week entertaining at home, hosting social occasions with family and friends, a rise of more than 57 per cent since 1961.

Almost two of the total five hours (38 per cent) spent with friends and extended family each week is now spent in our own homes. More than half (51 per cent) of Brits entertain at least once a week, while a hyper-sociable one-in-twenty entertains every day.

The new research highlights some of the key drivers for this change in behaviour. Specifically, rising affluence has fuelled greater spending on our homes, making the home a more comfortable place to be. Our homes have also been opened up to the outside world through a succession of technologies - most recently with the internet bringing a range of entertainment into our living rooms. Today more than 7 million homes have Sky channels and 3.3 million have cable channels.

Nicola Austin, Director of Consultancy at Future Foundation comments: 'The 21st century home is no longer just a box to protect us from the elements; it is a sanctuary from the stresses of modern living which we use for relaxation and entertainment. It is also increasingly being enjoyed together with family and friends.'

The trend is set to continue:

The 160 per cent increase in spending on household goods (appliances, furniture, textiles and household services) from 1980 to 2007 will be followed by a 49 per cent rise between 2007 and 2020

Spending on home leisure (home entertainment and recreational goods) is predicted to rise 75 per cent between the same time period, reaching £100 billion by 2020

Austin adds: 'Far from being a generation that spends all its time out on the town, we now spend more time than ever getting together at home. Entertaining friends has become a huge feature of our leisure time – particularly in the past ten years.'

The average time spent socialising in the home across the UK is 5 hours and 29 minutes. Residents of the South West are the biggest home birds, spending 43 per cent of their social time at home, with those in the West Midlands and the North East coming a close second at 41.5 per cent. London and Northern Ireland are more likely to be found out and about, spending a relatively low 31 per cent and 28 per cent of their time respectively socialising at home.

Austin concludes: 'Across the country, people in the South West are the most likely to socialise at home. This may reflect the climate and geography of the South West, but it’s also about the people. Higher levels of socialising in the home could be down to high levels of employment and affluence - the working population in the area is growing at double the national average - or it might just be that people in the South West are the "hosts with the most"!'

Back