Women’s football to boost F&B sales by £761m

Hospitality venues and retailers will enjoy a £1.2bn boost during the Women’s UEFA 2022 European Championships (EURO 2022), according to a new report from VoucherCodes.

The Women’s EURO 2022 Spending Report indicates £761.2m could be generated in sales by food and drink retailers over the course of the tournament, beginning on 6 July, with 7.3 million fans spending £260m in hospitality venues.

Despite the cost-of-living crisis, 18.9 million fans are set to watch the tournament across the UK, in pubs, restaurants, stadiums, and more. Pubs and restaurants are expected to make £198.7m on drink sales alone over the course of the competition, the equivalent of 20.8 million pints.

The group stage of the tournament is set to see the highest levels of consumer spending in hospitality venues, with potential sales peaking at £153.6 million.

Maureen McDonagh, managing director at VoucherCodes, commented: “Major sporting events are always a much-needed boost for retailers and hospitality venues as fans flock to restaurants and pubs to cheer on their teams.

“Women’s football continues to gain momentum in the UK and that’s reflected in the figures in our report. The Women’s Euros tournament is now an important occasion in our calendars, meaning retailers, bars and pubs who embrace the event will all have the chance to make the most of this momentum.

“It’s clear from our report that food and drink retailers will benefit the most during the tournament as, thanks to the games being shown on the BBC, many will be able to watch easily from home.

“However, it’s encouraging for hospitality venues that, despite the cost-of-living crisis, many people will still be looking forward to cheering the Lionesses on from their local pub or bar.”