Britons still obsessed with booze while Americans prefer oil

For the past two decades, it has always been pubs in the UK and gas stations in the US

A recent BusinessesForSale.com survey reveals that the number one business of choice for British entrepreneurs looking to buy a business is still the pub, while their American cousins prefer a gas station.

In the past 12 months, in the UK, over 12% of all enquiries across the website were made on pubs for sale. In the US, 9% of all buyer enquiries were made on gas stations. These statistics represent the most popular categories in each country.

“We’ve seen so many things change as a result of the pandemic, reflected on BusinessesForSale.com,” says founder and CEO, Andrew Markou. “For instance, camping grounds and e-commerce opportunities have seen a huge spike in interest,” he adds. “But even with these trends, pubs and gas stations still seem to dominate in these two markets”.

There are currently over 500 pubs for sale, listed on the UK section of BusinessesForSale.com. Over 280 of these are freehold opportunities, with an average price of £515k. Devon, with 38 pubs for sale, has the most opportunities of any county.

In the US, there are around 370 gas stations listed for sale, which make up 2.2% of all businesses for sale in the country on BusinessesForSale.com. The average price of a freehold gas station is $1.9m. New York, with 98 gas stations for sale, has the most opportunities in this sector.

“For the past two decades it has always been pubs in the UK and gas stations in the US,” says Markou. “Even with the huge impact of the pandemic, this picture remains the same,” he adds.