A customer finally reaches the door of a trendy bar after an hour of queuing. The bouncer glances at his clothes, tuts, and says: "Sorry mate, only Kenzo, Armani or Agnès B in here. Go away." Welcome to the brave new world of city-centre drinking in Britain, where entry to a watering hole increasingly depends on dress, bank account size and intellect, new research confirms.

A study by Newcastle University academics has found that the "nightlife economy", worth about £22bn, or 3 per cent of GDP, is in the grip of a creeping revolution that could kill off the traditional boozer.

The emergence of "style bars" owned by national chains – characterised by polished wood, leather armchairs and designer beers – are creating a homogenised drinking culture aimed solely at the better-off, the research claims.

Out goes the lager-fuelled lad dressed in a Ben Sherman shirt and shiny loafers. Pubs that cater for anyone who wants a drink, regardless of age or appearance, no longer dominate city drinking.

The researchers say that the owners of pub chains are creating a landscape of bars where branded outlets offer uniform decor and drinks menus cater for white-collar workers. Bouncers operating as "fashion pickers" are already widespread in Manchester and Leeds, the research says.

The two-year study costing £117,000, funded by the Government's Economic and Social Research Council, was set up to look at the development of nightlife and youth culture in Britain's cities.

Robert Hollands, a co-author and senior lecturer at the university's department of sociology and social policy, said the approach could increase social exclusion. He said: "This 'off-the-shelf' approach of branded outlets is aimed at a wealthier, discerning clientele. The result is that smaller scale and traditional outlets can be undermined or pushed to the fringe."

Figures show that five operators control 63 per cent of the UK's 4,776 branded pubs and trendy bars, such as the Bar 38 chain owned by Scottish & Newcastle, or Loaf run by Bass. The trend towards centralisation is exacerbated by the fact that 70 per cent of beer sold in Britain is produced by three brewers. Ten chains own 48 per cent of the 60,000 pubs.

The study, which looked at the centres of Newcastle upon Tyne, Bristol, and Leeds, said a two-tier system appeared to be catering for drinkers according to their "uniform". Certain brand names, such as Rockport shoes or Tommy Hilfiger, were in effect banned in some outlets because they tended to be worn by "scallies" or "casuals", who could cause trouble.

Big brewers and pub owners said any business reserved the right to deny entry to "undesirables" but denied they were stifling competition or imposing a uniform drinking culture.Mark Hastings, a spokesman for the British Beer and Pubs Association, which represents the large brewers and pub operators, said: "What was homogenous was when all you ever got was the local boozer."There is now tremendous diversity town and city centres. Just because there are new types of bars catering for a section of society, it doesn't mean other pubs will cease to exist."