London, September 2022: New findings from Budweiser Brewing Group UK&I reveal that almost two-thirds (64%) of the UK’s public say personal safety is front of mind when deciding to go on a night out – with as many as 81% of women who visit pubs, clubs and bars reporting that they consider their safety when getting home, and 63% of females say they plan their route home before heading out.
With the cost-of-living crisis and surging energy prices, consumers are reassessing the ways they travel to and from nights out, with 1 in 5 (20%) women altering their behaviour by walking more (61%) and taking fewer taxis (49%). Over a third (37%) of women said if they had access to a personal safety app which features a crime map, live location tracking, close contact notifications, and a SOS button, they would feel safer on a night out.
The study found that almost two-thirds (63%) of women were likely to plan their route home before heading out, and more likely to visit a night-time venue if it had measures to improve women’s safety. The findings also show that 53% of women were more likely to visit a venue that has anti-harassment and discrimination policies, compared to men (35%).
Budweiser Brewing Group’s long held belief is that every experience with beer should be a positive one. Whether in times of difficulty or celebration it is hugely important for people to be able to come together with friends and loved ones and Budweiser has always been an enabler of this. As a key player in the night time economy, Budweiser Brewing Group has a strong platform and route into bars, pubs and clubs which it is leveraging with a number of initiatives to create a more inclusive environment in hospitality venues. With its platform and vision for a more inclusive and enjoyable social environment for everyone the brewer is delighted to announce a collaboration with WalkSafe+, an app to empower people to go out and plan a safer journey home.
WalkSafe+ exists to make the world a safer place and is a mapping app that allows its 500,000+ users to plan their route home using the latest tools and information based on police data, whether that’s a live incident or a warning about a lack of streetlights. Budweiser Brewing Group UK&I and WalkSafe+ understand that everybody has the right to feel safe, wherever they are and in any situation. The cost of living crisis is not an excuse to jeopardise Britons’ safety and this collaboration and app will help users make informed decisions about their personal safety.
Brian Perkins, President, Budweiser Brewing Group UK&I said:“At Budweiser Brewing Group UK&I we see it as our personal responsibility and purpose to make every experience with beer a positive one. We are therefore proud to be collaborating with WalkSafe+, to promote digital tools which address issues which disproportionately affect women and vulnerable groups. We are committed to an inclusive environment in hospitality, which brings benefits to communities and businesses alike.
We recognise the role we play in the night-time economy, and have a responsibility to both our customers and consumers to empower people to enjoy their nights out safely.”
Emma Kay, Founder, WalkSafe said: ‘We are excited to be collaborating with Budweiser Brewing Group, to help support our mission to make the world a safer place, giving our users the opportunity to put their personal safety first. WalkSafe+ is an app that should not have to exist, however, research shows that personal safety is an issue that affects everyone,
WalkSafe+ encourages people to take precautionary measures to avoid crime, rather than reactionary measures when they find themselves in an unfortunate situation. We want everyone to be able to enjoy their night out, but to do so as safely as possible.”
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For more information, please contact HANOVER – budweiserBG@hanovercomms.com
Notes to Editors
The Collaboration
Budweiser Brewing Group UK&I is collaborating with personal safety app, WalkSafe+ to provide a grant that will fund research & development and improve the app’s user interface to encourage community building and help get people home safe. The collaboration aims to bring awareness to and encourage discussion around the safety issues that disproportionately affect women and other vulnerable groups, as well as the need to address them. There is an urgent need to act, to ensure that people – and women especially – can feel confident about getting home safely at night by leveraging the app to map a safer journey home
The WalkSafe+ app provides the tools to allow users to make informed decisions around personal safety. Senior ex-Metropolitan Police detectives and crime analysts identify crime patterns, so users can pinpoint crime hotspots and plan safer routes home – it encourages people to take precautionary measures to avoid crime, rather than reactionary measures when they find themselves in an unfortunate situation
About Budweiser Brewing Group UK&I
Budweiser Brewing Group UK&I is the trading name of AB InBev UK Limited, a subsidiary of Anheuser-Busch InBev, a publicly traded company (Euronext: ABI) based in Leuven, Belgium, with secondary listings on the Mexico (MEXBOL: ABI) and South Africa (JSE: ANB) stock exchanges and with American Depositary Receipts on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: BUD). Budweiser Brewing Group UK&I remains a proud part of AB InBev globally. In the UK, Budweiser Brewing Group employs 1,400 people in our three breweries in Magor, South Wales, Samlesbury, Lancashire and Enfield, North London and in our local headquarters in Central London.
We are committed to building great brands that stand the test of time and to brewing the best beers using the finest natural ingredients. We are proud to offer the UK’s leading premium beer, cider and seltzer brands, including global brands Budweiser®, Corona® and Stella Artois®; international brands Bud Light®, Bud Light Seltzer®, Beck’s®, Leffe®, and Hoegaarden®; local champions Bass® and Boddingtons® and craft heroes Camden Town Brewery.
We are here to champion Britain’s iconic beer culture, from barley farmers to pubs and retail; we are a founding member of the Portman Group, member of the British Beer and Pub Association and supporter of the Drinkaware Trust. We are also members of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Renewable and Sustainability Energy and the All-Party Parliamentary Corporate Responsibility Group. As a company, we dream big to create a future with more cheers. We are always looking to serve up ways to meet life’s moments, move our industry forward and make a meaningful impact in the world. Learn more at www.budweiserbrewinggroup.co.uk or on Twitter through @BudBrewingUKI.
About WalkSafe+
An innovative and free-to-download app, which exists with the ambition of helping make the world a safer place, giving users the opportunity to put their personal safety first.. WalkSafe+ houses a suite of clever, interactive tools, aimed to keep people safe. This includes regularly updated police crime data to show users where the recent crime hotspots are, so users can pick safer routes to walk home. WalkSafe+ is the only safety app to use official police crime statistics – designed as a unique live map so users can see the most recent crimes wherever they are.
YouGov
All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 1,738 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 6th – 7th September 2022. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all UK adults (aged 18+).
