Cost of living and tech combine to end classic pub tradition

Shouting a mate a beer at the pub is on the way out thanks to cost-of-living pressures and a technology breakthrough.

The humble pub shout is tipped to be a thing of the past as younger Australians shy away from it thanks to the help of a simple technology.

Australians are using QR codes as a way of individually ordering drinks at the table, ending the classic pub shout, research released by payments platform Tyro shows.

The QR code that came in post Covid has changed the way people buy drinks. Picture: NewsWire / Jeremy Piper

Tyro chief executive Jon Davey said the pub shout may become a thing of the past, as younger Aussies are quick to adapt to new ways of payment.

“Both (millennials and Gen Z) are more accustomed with modern ways of paying – these consumers are now used to paying individually at the table while they socialise rather than relying on one person to order for the whole group at a crowded bar,” he said.

According to the findings, millennials are the least likely to buy a friend a drink, with 42 per cent opting against that tradition, followed by Gen Z and Gen X.

Baby boomers are the most likely to shout a friend, but still one in three use QR codes as a way to avoid buying drinks.

The report also highlights cost-of-living pressures are clearly having an impact on Australians’ spending patterns, with nearly one in two Aussies changing their alcohol consumption due to costs, while one in 10 have quit the drink altogether.

Beyond drinking, more than half are now comparing prices, delaying non-essential purchases or hunting for discounts.

Not only are millennials the least likely to buy a drink for their friends, they are also the most annoyed at having to pay a holiday surcharge.

Australians say QR codes are making it easier to avoid a shout. Picture: NewsWire / Christian Gilles,

Gen Z and baby boomers represent more than 50 per cent of those willing to pay holiday surcharges to keep their local open, but only 19 per cent of millennials are happy to pay extra.

The Agrestic Grocer and Cafe owner Beau Baddock said these charges were essential for business.

“Holiday surcharging isn’t about making a profit, it’s about ensuring I can pay my hardworking staff their wages … I also want to provide visitors and locals with somewhere to go. If we don’t on-charge our extra wage costs, we’d have to close,” Mr Baddock said.

Originally published as Cost of living and tech combine to end classic pub tradition