Supermarkets and pubs set for sales bonanza as Britons prepare for Euro 2020 final
Supermarkets are preparing for a sales bonanza this weekend as Britons get set to spend an estimated £563 million in preparation for the Euro 2020 final.
More than seven million Britons are expected to splash out £180 million in hospitality venues alone on Sunday – a 12.5% increase from Wednesday’s semi-final against Denmark, according to a report by Vouchercodes.co.uk and the Centre for Retail Research (CRR).
By the end of the competition, it is estimated that £815 million will have been spent in pubs and hospitality venues, with 32.6 million pints sold, the report said.
Another £2.32 billion has been paid out for food and drink to consume at home throughout the tournament, with £358 million set to be spent on snacks and drinks for Sunday’s game alone.
We think England fans will enjoy over 7 MILLION pints during the Euros final 🍺
— British Beer & Pub Association (@beerandpub) July 8, 2021
BUT pubs WILL lose out on £9 million from the match due to restrictions ❌
It is incredible to see England reach a tournament final. Sadly though, restrictions will hinder the boost to pubs pic.twitter.com/hzaBUcY7Uo
The British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) predicts England fans will buy 7.1 million pints on Sunday.
However, the trade body warned that pubs are set to lose out on nearly £9 million in beer sales during the final due to Covid-19 trading restrictions, which will mean they sell 2.4 million fewer pints during the match than if they had been removed.
In the hour immediately after the final whistle blew in Wednesday’s semi-final against Denmark, VoucherCodes reported a 270% increase in people searching for discounts for stockists of official England merchandise as fans raced to snap up shirts and novelty items ahead of Sunday’s game.
VoucherCodes lifestyle editor Anita Naik said: “England reaching the final is going to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for many people, with 44 million fans set to tune in. We’ve not seen numbers this high for a sporting event since England lifted the World Cup trophy in 1966.
“After a difficult year, the Euros have provided fans and the economy with a much-needed boost and Sunday’s final game will be no different.”
Ocado said it has seen a “huge” increase in sales of beer and lager during the Euros, while searches for “sausage rolls” are up 200% compared with the month before the tournament began.
On Wednesday night, when England knocked Denmark out, Ocado’s Zoom same-day delivery service saw sales of IPA rise 550%, lager sales more than double, and both frozen party food and ice cream rise by some 45% compared with the previous Wednesday night.
Marks & Spencer said sales of its classic battered fish and chips meals were up 30% on match days compared with the weekly average this year, and sharing bags of crisps were up 300% on the days of home games.
Sainsbury’s said it expects Saturday to be its biggest day for beer sales this year, with sales expected to be around 20% higher than the quarter-final game last Saturday, and triple the norm on Sunday.
BBC Good Food magazine said Wednesday night’s match saw searches for “speedy nachos” trending, up 140% with 2,600 page views.
And new data from buy-now-pay-later firm Klarna found shoppers are keen to do a bit of football themselves.
Football boots orders nearly tripled in the week beginning June 28, compared with an average week in May.
In the three days leading up to Wednesday’s semi-final, the average amount customers spent on new TVs increased by 10% compared with May, as households looked to watch the match on a bigger screen, according to Klarna.
And, prior to the Euros starting, football shirt sales in the UK increased 317%, it found, with many unable to now find replica kits.
JD Sports’ website has sold out of England replica kits, and Sports Direct, as of Friday lunchtime, only had extra small and extra large in stock.
Just 2 days until the Euro 2020 final! 🏆⚽
— Ladbrokes (@Ladbrokes) July 9, 2021
England fans, how are the nerves?
Gambling firms are also expected to enjoy bumper business, with Ladbrokes owner Entain revealing it expects £17.5 million of bets to be placed, taking the total amount staked during the tournament to £250 million.
But amid all the revelry, businesses may struggle to get workers into offices or logged on to work calls on Monday morning.
Hannah Essex, co-executive director of the British Chambers of Commerce, said: “Firms already set up to work flexibly should be able to easily plan for allowing staff short periods of time off.
“Ultimately there will be some jobs where it will be difficult, but I’m sure most employers will be thinking about allowances to ensure everyone stays onside.
“Talking to staff and customers about plans, as well as taking a fair approach, should reduce disruption and decrease any resulting penalty to businesses’ productivity.”
