‘Weekday games were amazing’: pubs toast extra £150m in World Cup sales
Pubs in the UK have seen a significant increase in sales during the World Cup, with £150m in added sales compared to a normal trading period. The increase was driven by England's progress in the tournament, with busy match days followed by quieter periods.
Intelligence analysis by Llama
Pubs in the UK have seen a significant increase in sales during the World Cup, with £150m in added sales compared to a normal trading period. The increase was driven by England's progress in the tournament, with busy match days followed by quieter periods.
The World Cup has brought a lot of extra money to pubs in the UK. This is because people have been watching the games and buying drinks and food. The pubs have been very busy, especially on the days when England was playing. However, the busy days were often followed by quieter days, so the pubs didn't make as much money as they would have liked.
Analysis
A £150m Boost for Pubs
The World Cup has brought a significant boost to the pub industry in the UK, with £150m in added sales compared to a normal trading period. This increase is a welcome respite for the hard-pressed industry, which has been struggling with closures and declining sales. The World Cup-related sales increase was driven by England's progress in the tournament, with busy match days followed by quieter periods.
The standout day over the course of the last three tournaments, in terms of sales uplift relative to a normal shift, was England's game against Mexico in the early hours of the morning. Sales nearly doubled on that day compared with the same period pre-tournament, as pubs were permitted to open through the night and could trade in regular hours as well. Three other games delivered a two-thirds increase in the number of transactions, according to the data.
The World Cup benefit was not equally felt across the hospitality sector, with restaurants struggling in the hot weather. Mitchells & Butlers, the UK's largest hospitality chain, reported flat sales in the third quarter of the year, as improvement in its pubs division during the World Cup was offset by the hot weather deterring customers from brands such as Toby Carvery.
The combination of the World Cup and a £100m aid package for pubs from Andy Burnham, who announced a 20% cut in business rates for the sector on Thursday, brought rare respite for the pub industry. While the government policy was criticised for a lack of ambition, the dual benefits of the tax cut and the football brought a welcome respite for the industry, which recorded one pub a day closing last year in England and Wales.
The World Cup has also brought a significant increase in sales for individual pubs, with some reporting a 300-400% increase in sales on their tills compared to the previous week. However, busy match days were often followed by quieter periods, offsetting some of the gains, with trading dependent on England's progress.
The World Cup has been a welcome respite for the pub industry, which has been struggling with closures and declining sales. The £150m in added sales is a significant boost for the sector, and the combination of the World Cup and the aid package has brought a rare respite for the industry.
Key points
- Pubs in the UK have seen a significant increase in sales during the World Cup, with £150m in added sales compared to a normal trading period.
- The increase was driven by England's progress in the tournament, with busy match days followed by quieter periods.
- The World Cup has brought a rare respite for the hard-pressed pub industry, which has been struggling with closures and declining sales.
- The £100m aid package for pubs from Andy Burnham has brought a welcome respite for the industry.
- The World Cup has also brought a significant increase in sales for individual pubs, with some reporting a 300-400% increase in sales on their tills compared to the previous week.
The World Cup has brought a significant boost to the pub industry, and the combination of the tournament and the aid package has brought a rare respite for the industry. If the industry can build on this momentum, it could lead to a sustained recovery for the sector.
However, the World Cup benefit was not equally felt across the hospitality sector, with restaurants struggling in the hot weather. If the hot weather continues, it could offset some of the gains made by the pubs during the World Cup.
