STAG FRIDAY: BACHELORS BUY BIG ON BUSIEST DAY FOR BOOKINGS

• £19.5 million worth of bachelor bookings to be made on Friday, Jan 27th[i]
• The Stag Company predicts £150 million will be spent on Stag & Hen parties in January – one fifth of £750 million annual UK stag do spending[ii]
• Bournemouth predicted to be most popular destination
• Overseas bookings up 8% despite Brexit

Stag do specialist The Stag Company has revealed that January 27th – 'Stag Friday' – will be the biggest day of the year for stag party bookings with £19.5 million set to be spent one day.

With January bookings accounting for one fifth of the estimated £750million annual spend on stag events, over three million stags are expected to attend stag dos in 2017 with the average stag spending £250 per trip.[iii]

The Stag Company CEO, Rob Hill says: “If last year's trends are anything to go by, Stag Friday will be the single biggest day of the year for bookings as January's pay arrives and stags set their plans into action.”

Around a third of marriage proposals happen in the run up to Christmas, and a fifth of stag dos are booked in January so it is a critical month for the hundreds of business and livelihoods supported by the stag industry.”

Dan Chillingworth, Managing Director of stag activity provider, Xtreme Events, based in Huntingdon added: “January is always the busiest time for spring & summer bookings and sets the tone for the year ahead.”

Top Activities & Locations: Bubble Football in Bournemouth

According to trends in customer data from The Stag Company, Bournemouth is predicted to become the most popular destination for 2017 followed by Brighton, Prague, Newcastle and Budapest.

Despite the falling value of the pound since the Brexit vote The Stag Company saw an 8% increase in overseas trips in 2016, increasing 8% throughout 2016 with bookings to Dublin, Berlin, Budapest and Krakow all rising.

The Stag Company expects the average stag do to last 2 nights involving three activities with bubble football set to be the most popular stag activity for 2017.

Rob Hill added: “With so many options and potential destinations catering for stag parties, more best men are outsourcing all the hard work to stag do specialists and having bespoke trips built for them and their mates.

“So far this month, our team has been placing huge numbers of bookings for newer, more novel activities like bubble football and foot-golf whilst some more traditional activities like clay pigeon shooting and dog racing are having a resurgence in popularity.”

Dan Chillingworth of Xtreme Events added: “Based on current trends, bubble football will be the must-do stag activity for 2017 combining action, comradery and a good dose of comedy. Lionel Messi and the Barcelona team loved bubble football and so do the stags of the UK.”

The Evolution of the Stag: Sensible Stagging

2017 will see a major shift in the nature of UK stag dos continue after demand for lap dancing slid by 47% in 2016 whilst bookings for civilised dining experiences including bookings to celebrity restaurants increased by 28%.

To meet this need, 2016 also saw more sophisticated products enter the stag market including 'Gentleman's Afternoon Tea' and 'Bake with A Legend' experiences where the most domestic of stags can raise their baking skills with Great British Bake Off contestants.

Rob Hill adds: “Our booking patterns show stag do stereotypes are wearing thin – our customers are more mature and want original, authentic experiences that they'll cherish and remember for the right reasons. We're now sending groups off for afternoon teas and celebrity baking afternoons alongside outside pursuits that put the focus on camaraderie, adventure and enjoyment.”

For more details on how to book a stag or hen do, please visit: https://www.thestagcompany.com

-ENDS-

Notes:

[1] According to The Stag Company booking data from 2015-2016, 20% of stag do bookings take place in January. 13% of those bookings occur Stag Friday.

ii According to research from Ocean Finance, the average stag or hen do costs £250 per head, with one in ten spending over £500 for accommodation, entertainment, food & drink and activities.

iii According to statistics from the BBC in 2010, over 3 million people attended stag or hen dos in 2010.

For further press information, please contact:
Katie Raby/Libby Allan/Stuart Fyfe/Joe Thomas
Rooster PR
T: +44 (0)20 3440 8930
E: TheStagCompany@rooster.co.uk
W: www.rooster.co.uk