Inside London’s weekend economy

When staying local, Londoners are most likely to opt for a walk (45%), to eat out (36%) or grab a coffee, tea or matcha (29%). They are likely to travel within London – for example by taking the tube, a bus or the overground – to eat out (42%), go for a walk (31%) or visit friends and family (29%).

And they aren’t just willing to travel, they’re willing to travel huge distances across the city in pursuit of new experiences, with those aged 18-24 willing to travel an average of 1 hour and 15 minutes to explore somewhere they’ve never been before at the weekend.

However, more than a fifth (22%) of Londoners are willing to travel outside of the city entirely for a good meal.

Gen Z (18-24) takes that hunger seriously and are the most dedicated foodies, with a third saying they will travel outside of London to eat out (33%) – making it their top reason to escape the city. This compares to just over a fifth (21%) of those aged 25 and over.

Gen Z prioritises boutique fitness and dining out

Age also influences how Londoners choose to stay active. While playing sport is the activity of choice for 14% of Londoners when staying local, two fifths (40%) of Gen Z prioritise heading to a gym or fitness studio. That’s the highest of any generation, reflecting a generation deeply invested in wellness and self-improvement.

And this is reflected in how much Gen Z Londoners are willing to spend on fitness and wellness activities in a typical weekend: to the tune of £49.23 on average versus an average of £32.85 for those who live in London generally. This suggests Gen Z Londoners aren’t just going to the gym – they're investing in premium fitness experiences and boutique studios to supercharge their wellbeing on the weekends.

Gen Z Londoners in fact were found to be the biggest weekend spenders, spending an average of £275.65 on dining out, drinking, fitness, shopping and other activities on a typical Saturday and Sunday. That’s the equivalent of £14,333.80 a year, compared to £13,507.52 for the average Londoner – showing that this generation are truly living for the weekend. That includes an average of £75.16 on shopping – the equivalent of £3,908 a year. 

But Millennials (25-34) are the most likely to indulge when it comes to weekend drinks, spending an average of £48.64 in London’s pubs, bars and clubs, the same as £2,529 every year, and by those aged 45-54 on eating out, who spend £63.38 on average dining out on a typical weekend (£56.04 for Gen Z).

Meanwhile, the average Londoner spends an average of £72.07 on shopping each weekend, making it the most popular spending category by far. This is followed by eating out (£59.22), other activities like the theatre or museums (£49.64), drinking out (£45.97) and fitness and wellness (£32.85).

Rewarding Londoner's journeys

Chase customers in London can earn 2% cashback – up to £20 – when they use their Chase debit card to pay for TfL travel.  That cashback is also available across spending on groceries, everyday transport (including train, tram, buses and ferries), fuel and electric charging. Find out more here.

Binay Agarwala, Managing Director for Rewards and Lending at Chase, says: "London offers something fun for everyone, and the TfL network makes it easy for people to get around and explore, whether that's spending time with friends and loved ones, heading to a gym class, enjoying the capital's world-class dining scene or simply taking a walk around the city.

"By partnering with TfL, we’re helping Londoners get more from the city they call home – connecting to the people, places and experiences that matter most, while giving customers 2% cashback on their travel. It’s another way we’re helping customers get more from their everyday spending while making travel across the capital more rewarding.”

Image credit: TfL