Hospitality venues are set to see sales reach £31.8m – the highest to date across the competition -during the Semi Finals of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, a new report reveals.
The Women’s World Cup 2023 Spending Report by the UK’s most trusted savings site VoucherCodes.co.uk, reveals that of the 9.3 million supporters around the UK are set to tune in to see if the Lionesses make it through to the final. This includes 2 million fans who are expected to head to their local pub, bar or restaurant to soak up the atmosphere – the highest number seen throughout the tournament.
Despite England’s game taking place at 11am on a Wednesday, hospitality venues are expected to generate sales of £12.9m on food and a whopping £18.9m on drinks as consumers flock to their local pubs to enjoy the penultimate games of the tournament.
A further 8.4m people (90% of the total viewers) are set to watch from the comfort of their own homes, as fans continue to be presented with early kick off times due to the tournament being held in Australia and New Zealand. Retailers are expected to make £115.2m during this two-match stage as fans will stock up on their match day essentials from local supermarkets, with breakfast and brunch items high on their shopping list.
Despite retailers seeing the highest sales from food and drink (£87.5m), stores are also set to make £13.6m on sportswear, £4.4m on electricals, £5m on merchandise and £4.7m on decorations as consumers cheer on the Lionesses.
Across the Semi Final stage of the competition, retailers and hospitality venues are predicted to cash in on a combined total of £147m.
Maureen McDonagh, SVP International & Managing Director at VoucherCodes.co.uk commented: “Despite consumers being increasingly cautious with their money due to the ongoing cost-of-living crisis and early kick-off times, it’s encouraging to see over two million consumers are still planning on soaking up the atmosphere in pubs and other venues – the highest we’ve seen all tournament.
“There are plenty of ways hospitality venues can take advantage of the Semi Final and entice customers to their pubs, bars, and restaurants. Giving customers value for money has never been more important, so offering discounts on food and drink during the matches will allow businesses to benefit from the excitement of the tournament.”
