The Sun reports that this year’s Euro Cup could bring an £800m sales boost to England’s hospitality industry.
If England beats Spain this weekend and wins the championship, Sir Geoff, a member of the 1966 World Cup winning team, backs the idea of a public holiday, “to let fans celebrate together.”
On Euro Cup final day, pubs across the country packed with people will be allowed to stay open later on Sunday night, just as they did following their semi-final victory on Wednesday. Experts estimate that after England’s dramatic comeback win against the Netherlands in the semi-finals, their fans have already sparked a £405m spending spree in pubs and supermarkets.
And it is estimated that on final day alone, England fans will consume £120m worth of alcohol, with pub sales up by ten million pints compared to usual. However, many fans may shun Spanish beers such as Estrella and San Miguel brands, as a show of support for the Three Lions. Emma McClarkin, CEO of the British Beer and Pub Association, said, “Just like in the semi-finals, pubs will be allowed to stay open until 1am. This gives fans more time to enjoy the match, support our pubs, and hopefully ultimately celebrate ‘football’s coming home’.”
The UK’s largest supermarket, Tesco, estimates it will sell four million packs of beer and cider, along with 1.2 million cans and bottles of low-alcohol and non-alcoholic beer. Almost two and a half million bottles of wine will be purchased, as well as an equal number of champagnes snapped up by England fans. Tesco also estimates it will sell over one million pizzas and pies, while nearly 800,000 packets of sausages and 180,000 burgers will be bought for barbecues. Andrew Rennie, CEO of Domino’s Pizza, says the takeaway chain expects to make between 20 to 25 pizzas per second during the match.
Analysts say, “During the four-week tournament, our hospitality industry has enjoyed an £800m sales uplift, and Sunday’s final will be the climax of this incredibly successful Euro Cup.”
