England semi-final gives pubs and bars ‘biggest Wednesday in history’
England’s semi-final against Argentina might not have ended in victory for Kane’s team, but pubs and bars were celebrating, after the match gave pubs and bars their biggest single day of transactions.
According to global payments company Square, the semi-final game against Argentina on Wednesday (15 June) saw transactions up 145% during the day, with late-night trade (10pm-2am) up by 97%.
Meanwhile, analysis from Heineken’s UK managed operator pubs, provided by card machine provider Dojo, reported an uplift of a whopping 178% over the same date last year, with drinks up 203% and food sales up 35%.
The 21.30 hydration break – introduced by Fifa this year – saw peak spending of 204% Dojo said, followed by half-time (up 197%), and the final ten minutes of the game (up 188%).
Lawson Mountstevens, managing director of Heineken’s UK’s Star Pubs said it was believer to be “one of the biggest Wednesday nights ever, and a welcome boost for publicans who worked incredibly hard to give fans a brilliant place to watch.”
Considerable uplift
The results from Wednesday marked a considerable uplift on the previous semi-finals matches. Square reported with England’s match against Norway on 11 July boosted transactions by 40%, while the Spain versus France semi-final saw an uplift of 26%, even though England was not playing.
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Meanwhile Epos provider Dojo reported sales up 67% year-on-year as a result of the nail-biting English victory over Mexico.
John O’Beirne, CEO of Square International said that the World Cup had been an important moment for British hospitality.
“Football fans have turned out to support their country game after game, and England’s match against Argentina drew the largest crowds yet to pubs and bars. Even though England won’t be in the final, we can still expect bars and pubs to see strong trading as people tune into the final weekend of the tournament,” he said.
The company also provided the top five UK cities showing the biggest increase in transactions on the night, with Birmingham in pole position, with an uplift of 121% in transactions. Southampton followed not far behind, with an 115% uplift in transactions, ahead of Manchester (+112%), Bristol (+93%) and Sheffield (+76%).
Ahead of the match, the BPPA said it expected around 6million more pints to be poured during the match compared to an average Wednesday, representing a 75% uplift. This, BBPA CEO Emma McClarkin said, was a bigger boost than that seen on a bank holiday or New Year’s Eve.
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