England's World Cup quarter-final against Norway on Saturday is expected to generate a near half-billion-pound windfall for the UK economy, with fans predicted to drink 9.3 million pints, order takeaways and buy new televisions. According to analysis from GlobalData on behalf of VoucherCodes.co.uk, the quarter-finals collectively will lift sales by £493.6 million, with £385 million of that linked to the England-Norway match alone.
The hospitality sector is among the biggest beneficiaries. Pubs have seen sales rise by 77 per cent on matchdays compared with a typical Tuesday, according to UKHospitality, while the British Beer & Pubs Association expects an extra £27.5 million from 5.5 million additional pints on Saturday. Venues staging ticketed watch parties report rapid sell-outs, with Boxpark's chief executive, Matt Snell, saying each match can be worth £500,000 in ticket, drink and food sales. 'If we reach the final, it'll be as big as Christmas and the whole month of December for us,' he said.
At the Kenton Arms in London, a social hub for the city's Norwegian diaspora, landlord Egil Johansen anticipates a heavy Norwegian presence. 'I think it'll be a majority of Norwegians, maybe 70:30 or 80:20,' he said, adding that the pub reached its 200-person capacity an hour before kick-off for the Brazil game. 'It's 100% an extra boost for us this year.'
Indoor venues are also cashing in, with cinemas such as Vue and Picturehouse advertising screenings, and the Co-op Live venue in Manchester selling out its 2,000-capacity fanzone in 48 hours. Meanwhile, online electricals retailer AO.com says TV sales rose 23 per cent year-on-year in June as households prepare to watch from home.
The tournament has also driven a surge in takeaway orders. Deliveroo reported overnight orders nearly doubling during England's last-16 victory over Mexico, with sparkling wine and popcorn orders tripling in the two hours before kick-off and pizza and burger orders tripling at the final whistle. Tesco said orders through its Whoosh rapid delivery service also spiked during the match.
