The boss of pub chain Fuller's has said that England's late World Cup kick-off times are beneficial for pubs. Simon Emeny, executive chairman of Fuller's, explained that afternoon match starts can actually reduce trade from other parts of the day.
England's Group Stage Schedule
England's World Cup group stage matches begin against Croatia on June 17 with a 9pm start time in the UK. The same kick-off applies to the match against Ghana on June 23, while the final group game against Panama on June 27 starts at 10pm.
Mr Emeny said: "I think it is going to be a very different World Cup to previous events, mainly because of the kick off times. What we have previously seen is that when you have kick off times at one o’clock, three o’clock, five o’clock it can cannibalize normal summer trading. The later kick off could potentially play very well to pubs."
Extra Pints and Staycations
Pubs are expected to serve an additional 55 million pints if England reaches the World Cup final. On average, each pub could sell an extra 1,240 pints, or 14 kegs, during the tournament. Fuller's says it is "garden-ready" for the World Cup and summer season, with more customers booking ahead and choosing staycations.
The company, which operates 337 pubs and hotels across southern England, reported revenues of £397.8 million for the year to March 28, up 5.7% from the previous year. This growth was driven by higher food and drink sales and hotel bookings.
Continued Sales Growth
Sales have continued to rise since April, increasing 4.4% in the first 10 weeks of the financial year compared to the same period last year. Fuller's highlighted strong hotel bookings linked to increased demand for staycations, particularly in the Cotswolds.
Mr Emeny said: "As we move into our summer season, preparations have gone well. Our garden investment programme has seen fresh space created for peak trading, advance bookings for the World Cup have been strong and we are seeing increased demand for staycations benefiting our excellent rooms business."
Challenges Ahead
Mr Emeny noted that the company has managed to grow sales despite "an increasingly challenging macroeconomic and political backdrop." He criticised "unprecedented government interference, additional taxes and regulations," including last year's increase to employer national insurance contributions, alcohol duty, and sugar tax. "These decisions come with consequences," he warned, pointing to rising youth unemployment and pub closures in the UK.
