Pubs and shops in England get ready for Euro final

English pubs, supermarkets, and restaurants are preparing for a busy weekend as fans get ready to watch England play Spain in the final of Euro 2024 in Germany.

The weekend also features the Wimbledon tennis men’s singles final in London.

These events are expected to boost the hospitality and retail sectors after a slow start to summer trading due to wet weather.

Supermarkets Tesco, Sainsbury’s, and Asda, along with data from Adobe, report increased sales of beer, wine, snacks, barbecue food, pizzas, large screen TVs, and England shirts ahead of the sporting weekend.

Sainsbury’s, Britain’s No. 2 grocer, predicts weekend beer sales will increase 200 per cent year-on-year, with sparkling wine and ready-to-drink cocktail cans both up 30 per cent.

Asda, Britain’s third-biggest supermarket, has sold over 20,000 large screen ultra-high-definition TVs during Euro 2024, with more sales expected before Sunday. This comes after England’s 2-1 semi-final victory over the Netherlands on Wednesday, with a dramatic last-minute winner.

England face Spain on Sunday, aiming to become the first England men’s team to win a major tournament since the 1966 World Cup and the first on foreign soil.

A spokesperson for JD Sports reported a six-fold increase in England merchandise sales for the semi-final, following a three-fold rise after last Saturday’s quarter-final victory against Switzerland on penalties.

Adobe data forecasts a 1,500 per cent increase in spending on England team merchandise the day after the semi-final.

UKHospitality, a trade body, predicts British pubs and bars will see a £120 million boost in ales sales from the final.

Tesco, the UK’s biggest supermarket group, will close its more than 1,800 Express stores early on Sunday to allow staff to get home or to the pub in time for the kick-off at 19:00 GMT. Jason Binks, store ordering manager at Tesco, said, “Based on our learnings from England reaching the final last time round (in 2021), and also from increasing demand through this tournament, we have a well-rehearsed supply plan in place to make sure all our stores are stocked for the extra demand.”

The Wimbledon women’s final will take place on Saturday afternoon, and the men’s final will start at 2pm (UK time) on Sunday.

Recent surveys showed British consumer spending contracted in June due to wet weather affecting sales of key seasonal items. However, consumer outlook is improving with lower UK inflation, rising real living standards, and the promise of political stability with a new Labour government.

Young & Co Brewery reported its pubs are “nearly” fully booked but still have the option for walk-ins. London-based Fuller’s has seen a jump in advance bookings.

A Domino’s Pizza Group spokesperson said the group is stocking up on cheese & tomato and pepperoni pizzas and will offer a 50 per cent discount on web and app orders from Friday through Sunday.

Not all retailers will benefit, as spending in supermarkets might reduce visits to high street shops, shopping centres, and retail parks.

(With inputs from Reuters)