Retail and hospitality venues are set to cash in on £17.3m as fans tune into England’s second group stage game of the 2023 Women’s World Cup against Denmark on Friday 28th July, a new report reveals.
The Women’s World Cup 2023 Spending Report by VoucherCodes.co.uk predicts that the game will be watched by just under two million people (1.9m) in homes, bars, pubs, and restaurants across the UK.
The ongoing cost-of-living crisis coupled with matches starting in the morning, due to the tournament being held in Australia & New Zealand, means 1.5 million consumers are expected to tune into the match from home. This is forecast to provide retailers with a boost in revenue of £15.2m. Purchases of food and drink are expected to make up the greatest proportion of the total spend at £11.3m, as fans head to local retailers and supermarkets to stock up their homes prior to the game.
Breaking predicted retail sales down further, consumers are set to spend £1.5m on sportswear, £1m on electronics, £0.8m on decorations, and £0.6m on merchandise in preparation for the game.
With England’s second game taking place on the morning of a workday, hospitality venues are set to see a decline in revenue compared to England’s opening fixture, with only 400,000 fans set to brave the 9:30am kick off time and head to their local pub, bar, or restaurant. In comparison, 1.1m fans watched the match against Haiti in a hospitality venue.
Hospitality venues are predicted to generate £2.1m in sales during England’s matchup against Denmark, broken down into £0.8m on food and £1.3m on drink.
Throughout the group stage of the tournament, which ends on the 3rd of August, retail and hospitality venues are expected to receive a combined £158m boost.
Maureen McDonagh, SVP International & Managing Director at VoucherCodes.co.uk commented:
“The ongoing cost of living crisis paired with the Friday morning kick off is predicted to have a negative impact on fan spend in hospitality venues. Despite this, almost half-a-million consumers (0.4m) are still expected to tune into England’s second fixture from their local pub, bar, or restaurant.
“Even with the predicted decline in sales, there are still various ways hospitality venues can take advantage of the occasion. Offering discounts and deals on food and drink during the matches will provide consumers with value for money, attracting customers through the door and boosting sales.”
