Cast your mind back to the last time the Euros were played, in 2021. The UK, like many other countries, was only just coming out of a Covid-19 lockdown – and restrictions weren’t fully lifted until 19th July, a week after the tournament ended.
Fast forward to today, and the picture couldn’t be any more different. Crowds of people have poured into the nation's pubs and bars, all jostling to cheer on their team. And, while some fans and pundits have been left disappointed by England’s performance on the pitch, the hospitality industry has received a welcome boost.
The British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) estimated that almost 20 million more pints were set to be enjoyed during the Euros, valued at more than £93 million in extra sales. Now that the tournament is finished, fresh data from our customers’ pub epos systems reveals that this prediction was on target.
During England's matches, pubs saw over 8 million pints poured, generating £8,825,331 in revenue – a significant increase compared to the £4,128,343 earned during non-match days.
Across the entire European Championship tournament in Germany, the hospitality industry in England saw more than double the normal demand for pints - a spike of 124%.
All this is good news for operators, who’ve spent the last few years fighting against rising costs, staffing shortages, and squeezed consumer spending.
High scorers
Without a surprise, spirits were highest during England’s final match against Spain on Sunday, July 14th, with a rise in demand for pints of more than four times than usual (334%).
During the semi-final against The Netherlands, on July 10th, the number of pints served soared by 136% that day, generating an extra 147% in sales revenue – perhaps fuelled by the celebrations that followed England’s victory.
Ed Fryer, drinks marketing manager at Fuller’s, which has around 400 pubs, told us:
“We know that the pub is the best place to watch the game if you can't make it out to Germany, and so despite the performance on the pitch, customers have enjoyed watching games in our packed city pubs and on big screens in our pub gardens.
“Over the past six months, we have worked hard to ensure that we deliver a great customer journey from the moment customers book to the moment they leave us at the end of the match, and sales across all matches, not just England and Scotland games, have reflected this.”
Regional champs
As well as looking at the national picture, we also took a sample of payment data from 27 key towns and cities in England to find out where venues had seen the biggest uplift. Birmingham topped the table, with pubs serving 289% more pints leading to 292% extra sales. Next was Bath at 237% followed by Leeds at 203%. All but six of the 27 locations saw at least a 26% rise in the number of pints served, and a 23% increase in sales.
According to the British Beer and Pub Association, there are more than 20,000 pubs in the UK. Based on our data, it means that the industry has seen a profit of over £77 million in the last month due to the Three Lions’ performance in the tournament – total of around 23 million pints.
All to play for
Martin Verdon-Roe, GM Hospitality at The Access Group said: “With venues decked out in bunting and matches on the big screen, nothing beats sharing the highs and lows of the tournament with your fellow fans. Like the players on the pitch, venues have just one chance to get it right – they need to have staff to cover the big games, and who can handle large volumes of orders and, let’s face it, rowdy fans. They also need to have enough food and drinks in stock, while minimising waste.''
“Of course, we’d always encourage people to drink responsibly. Many of the venues we work with now have a wide range of non-alcoholic beers too, which are growing in popularity.”
He added: “The good thing about hospitality software is that it allows operators to take advantage of the high footfall events like this bring, while also delivering excellent guest experiences.
“Our research shows that a bar epos system can provide up-to-date data on how much guests are buying, so you don’t have to rely on out-of-date information or gut instinct. Features like staff scheduling and guest bookings, also allow you to fill rotas and take pre-orders to reduce waiting times and avoid running out of things people want.”
Tips for making the most of the sports events in your pub
1. Pick your squad
From front of house to back, your team makes events like the Euros – so you need to know who’s available to create the ultimate line-up. Encourage staff to sign up for shifts, and then check to see whether you have gaps that need to be filled by employees from other, perhaps less busy, venues or agency workers.
2. Don’t run out of beer
You may offer a reduced menu during the games to maintain efficiency – but having an extra beer, plus food like chips and burgers, is a must. Procurement tools make it easy to get your orders in with suppliers, so you don’t disappoint fans and lose revenue by running out of items on your menu.
3. Encourage pre-bookings . . .
Asking fans to reserve their place, and even pre-order their food, gives you more certainty around how many people are going to show up, and reduces the burden on your kitchen and waiting staff. Allow guests to manage their booking online, and request deposits to reduce the risk of no-shows.
4. . . and welcome walk-ins
Not everyone wants to book a place, so allocate some seating for walk-ins. Your booking software will quickly tell staff whether a table is available, and help you create virtual wait lists ahead of the game in case another table cancels.
5. Unleash your marketing tactics
In the run-up to the big game, make sure your website is up to date with the latest information for fans, and that your social media channels are buzzing. Think about listing your event for maximum exposure, and encourage people who book to sign up for your email list.
Don't miss out on the next big game!
The Euros proved that sports events are a winning formula for pubs and bars and with the help of the right tools and insights, you can turn every match into a revenue driver.
Let us help you tap into the power of data-driven decisions, ensuring your pub or bar is always ready for the next cheering crowd. Watch the 5-minute demo now.
Methodology
We analysed data captured from 2,400 venues during all of England's matches. From this, we compared the number of units (pints) sold during match days, compared to the day one week prior, and the value in sales.
We also took regional data for the largest cities and towns in the research, to understand which areas have seen the biggest increase to their economy.
All data is correct as of 15th July 2024.
