UK ECONOMY TO SCORE A £1.33BN BOOST DURING 2018 WORLD CUP
- Total to rise to £2.72bn if England make it through to the final, according to research by the Centre of Retail Research and VoucherCodes
- £193 million to be spent in pubs, restaurants, cafés and clubs – rising to £488 million if England make it to the final
- If England make it to the final, Brits to spend £1.12bn on food & drink to watch the match at home
London, 5th June 2018: The British economy is set to benefit from a £1.33bn spending spree if England make through the second round (the round of 16) of the 2018 World Cup, rising to £2.72bn if the team make it through to the final, according to figures from VoucherCodes and the Centre for Retail Research (CRR).
Where Brits Will Be Watching
Pubs, restaurants, cafés and clubs are gearing up to cash in on the nation’s obsession with the tournament, with £193m set to ring through their tills from the pockets of those watching the matches on big screens – rising to a huge £488m if England make it to the final. This is supported by a separate study of 2,000 British adults by Opinium and VoucherCodes, which reveals a quarter of Brits will splash out on drinks and watch the England final on a big screen at their local pub.
Whilst many are keen to get out to watch the games, the figures reveal the majority of Brits (86%) are planning to watch the tournament from home. Those who do are expected to splash £240m on food and a whopping £297m on booze if the team makes it through the second round, rising to £1.12bn if they make it through to the final. They will also spend £37m preening their gardens and upgrading their BBQs to host friends and family, increasing to £62m – almost double the amount – if England get to the final.
World Cup Spending Spree
Brits will get World Cup fever, splashing out £264m on sportswear to emulate their football heroes, rising to £463m if England make it through to the final, with almost one in 10 loyal supporters looking to purchase a new football shirt. Fans will also spend big on souvenirs to celebrate and remember the occasion, spending £72m during the second round and £155m if England goes the distance. Whilst those looking to upgrade their viewing at home will splash out £277m on new TVs and electricals, rising to £431m if England make it through to the final. Surprisingly, just 16% of Brits claim their spending will slow if England are knocked out of the World Cup.
Total Spend During 2018 World Cup Across Each Sector (All £ in Millions)
| Category | Group | Round 16 | Subtotal | Sales post-Grp 16 if England doesn’t progress | Total sales if England leave after Grp 16 | Total Sales if England are finalists |
| Food & drink | £386 | £151 | £537 | £282 | £819 | £1,122 |
| -food | £177 | £63 | £240 | £123 | £363 | £506 |
| -drink | £209 | £88 | £297 | £159 | £456 | £616 |
| TV electrical | £160 | £67 | £227 | £75 | £302 | £431 |
| Sportwear | £196 | £68 | £264 | £25 | £289 | £463 |
| Souvenirs | £52 | £20 | £72 | £11 | £83 | £155 |
| Gardens/BBQ | £26 | £11 | £37 | £7 | £44 | £62 |
| All retail | £820 | £317 | £1,137 | £400 | £1,537 | £2,233 |
| Pubs clubs café | £128 | £65 | £193 | £166 | £359 | £488 |
| Totals | £948 | £382 | £1,330 | £566 | £1,896 | £2,721 |
Regional Spending
In terms of regional differences, London looks likely to be most gripped by football fever, with 60% of its population planning to watch the World Cup. Londoners are also the most likely to purchase a new team shirt for the occasion, with 17% looking to hit the shops to buy one. Sheffield residents are the most likely to head to a pub, bar or club for England’s World Cup fixtures, with 43% planning to do so during the group stages. Whereas, locals in Norwich are most likely to watch the matches at home with friends and family, even if England make it to the final, with 89% planning to do so.
Jimmy New, Director of Marketing at VoucherCodes, comments: “The 2018 World Cup looks set to be a big one in the UK, not only for football fans but for British retailers too, with a huge £1.33bn estimated to be put through the tills over the next couple of months to celebrate the occasion. Those looking to bag a bargain, whether it’s dinner and drinks out, snapping up a new football shirt, or buying a new BBQ to host visitors, should check out the VoucherCodes site or app to help make their money go further, irrelevant of England’s fate in the tournament!”
END
Notes to Editors:
Research conducted by the Centre of Retail Research entitled ‘World Cup 2018 Estimates’ on behalf of VoucherCodes in April 2018.
Research conducted by Opinium on behalf of VoucherCodes. Total sample size was 2,007 UK adults (aged 18+). Survey conducted online between 8th and 11rd May 2018.
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