On July 14, 2024, in London, England, people watched the European Cup final between England and Spain at the London Stadium Park Bar.
Christian Booth | In Pictures | Getty Images
LONDON — While England’s European men’s soccer tournament ended dismally again, the tournament spurred spending in the country’s grocery stores and hotels — with sales of non-alcoholic and low-alcohol drinks particularly booming.
Take-home grocery sales increased by 2.2% in the four weeks to July 7, with beer sales on match days in England rising by an average of 13%, market research firm Kantar said in a research report released on Tuesday.
Sales of no-alcohol and low-alcohol beers surged by 38% at the same time, Kantar said, as many England games are played on weeknights.
It is the latest sign of the strength of the no- and low-alcohol beer market, which has grown rapidly in recent years with the launch of beer giant and established beer company Lucky Saint, which is available in thousands of UK countries and territories Beer in cans and on tap.
Research firm IWSR predicts that the UK beverage alcohol market will fall by 1% in total volume and value over the next five years, while no- and low-alcohol drinks will increase by 19%. The segment will grow 47% from 2022 to 2023, IWSR said in a June report.
this same trend This is also the case in the United States, where total beer sales fell 2.9% in the 12 months to mid-May, while non-alcoholic beers rose 33.7%, according to restaurant consultancy CGA.
The new revenue stream and the tailwinds from sporting events are a welcome relief for Britain’s struggling hospitality industry, which has been hit by the Covid-19 pandemic. rampant inflation Working shifts from home has reduced foot traffic in many areas of the city centre.
The CGA said earlier this month that sales from English football matches to the British hotel industry increased by an average of 21% year-on-year, with group sales increasing by 40%.
Trade group UKHospitality previously said it expected Sunday’s final – in which Spain beat England 2-1 in a nail-biting match – to see a 50% increase in pub and bar sales.
UKHospitality chief executive Kate Nicholls said it was a “huge boost” for the industry.
