Football fans have provided a substantial £3.1 billion boost to the British economy over the past four weeks as Euros fever grips the nation.
For Sunday night’s final, where England faces Spain, an estimated £405 million is expected to be spent in pubs and supermarkets alone. Over 17 million people are anticipated to watch the match in pubs, bars, or restaurants, with fans projected to spend £70.5 million on drinks and £54.3 million on food.
Retailers are set to benefit from a £280.1 million boost, largely spent in supermarkets on last-minute snacks and drinks for the match, according to research by GlobalData Retail.
Tesco expects to sell over one million pizzas and 180,000 packs of burgers between Friday and Sunday, alongside four million packs of beer and cider.
Kris Hamer, director of insight at the British Retail Consortium, commented: “After success against the Netherlands, we expect more people across England to tune into Sunday’s finals, leading to increased spending on snacks and drinks, and potentially an uptick in TV sales as households try to watch the big game on even bigger screens.”
Landlords are preparing to serve an additional 10 million pints on match day. UKHospitality suggests pubs and bars could see a 50% sales boost, supported by GlobalData figures.
Kate Nicholls, chief executive of UKHospitality, added her thoughts, saying: “Pubs will be packed to the rafters with fans cheering on the Three Lions, creating an atmosphere that rivals being at the game in Berlin.”
Sunday’s match marks the Three Lions’ first major final on foreign soil. In response, British Airways has added extra flights to Berlin after experiencing a 1,000% increase in searches for the route following England’s semi-final win. The airline is also deploying larger planes to accommodate the surge of fans travelling to the German capital.
The excitement surrounding the final is expected to disrupt normal business operations on the Monday following the game, which kicks off at 8pm on Sunday. Employers have been warned it is “unlikely to be business as usual.”
The Chartered Institute of Personnel Development (CIPD) has urged companies to be flexible with staff the day after the match, accommodating those who may prefer to work from home.
