London pubs and bars saw spending rise by more than 11% as England’s World Cup campaign continued to deliver a major boost for the hospitality sector.
Payment’s provider Dojo, which works with more than 110,000 UK hospitality businesses, found consumer spending in London venues was up 11.2% during England’s first two weeks of the tournament.
Pub owners across the capital are hoping the Three Lions’ continued performance will mean fans keep coming through their doors.
A spokesperson from The George in Twickenham said: “We’re all hoping England win because it makes such a difference to the pub.
“We’ll still show the other games, but it’s never quite the same – when England are playing, the place is packed and there’s a real buzz.”
Across the country, spending at pubs and bars rose by 17.3% between 15 and 28 June, as fans gathered to watch England’s opening fixtures.
Dojo said the figures show how valuable England’s continued run in the tournament could be for pubs and bars, with transactions surging at key moments during matches.
During England’s win over Panama, spending rose by 31% during the hour covering kick-off and half-time, before jumping by 43% around the full-time whistle as fans stayed out to celebrate.
Despite later kick off times, England’s progress appears to be continuing to drive footfall and spending across the sector.
The government has extended licensing hours so fans can enjoy England’s late-night World Cup fixtures in pubs and bars across the country.
For last Monday’s game against Mexico, venues screening the game remained open until 5am.
Fans don’t seem to be put off by the late start, with more than a quarter saying they would watch at least some World Cup matches in a pub or bar, according to Opinium.
That figure rose to 37% among Gen Z and 31% among Millennials.
For football fan Adam L’Anson, 23, the tournament has been a chance to get his friends together and enjoy the tournament as a group.
He said: “I watch the games at the pub as it is very rare that my friends are all supporting the same team so it’s much more social to watch it together in a group with lots of other people.
“It is defiantly much cheaper to watch it at home than the pub but at the same time you can’t put a price on watching with your friends so I’m willing to pay extra.”
Nearly one in four respondents also said they expected to spend more in the pub during a World Cup match than they would for a regular football fixture.
For pub owners, England’s game results could carry pressure beyond the football itself, with another win likely to mean another major boost in trade.
Charlie Ashworth, Head of Data and Insights at Dojo, said: “England’s World Cup campaign is proving to be a real boost for hospitality businesses.
“It underlines the important role major sporting events play in driving footfall and consumer spending across the UK’s hospitality sector.”
Featured image credit: Pexels.com
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