England win drives spend with 174% spike in sales
England's World Cup victory over DR Congo on July 1 delivered another major boost for the UK's hospitality sector, with supporters leaving work early to watch the match in venues, driving sharp increases in spending, venue occupancy and draught beer sales across the country.
New analysis from The Oxford Partnership, Dojo and Vianet's BevMetrics platform shows England's 5pm kick-off prompted fans to head to venues well before the first whistle, creating one of the strongest midweek trading performances of the year.
Using pubs as their yardstick, The Oxford Partnership's Market Watch estimated that pubs served the equivalent of 6,552,490 pints of draught beer and cider during the fixture – almost 2.9 million more pints than a typical July Wednesday in 2025.
Spending surged before kick-off
Dojo's analysis of card transactions, measured every 10 minutes throughout the day, shows supporters began arriving well before kick-off. At 4pm, spending was 174% higher than at the same time the previous Wednesday before peaking at 4:50pm, just ten minutes before kick-off, when spending reached 274% above normal levels.
Compared with a typical Wednesday, venue occupancy increased by:
• 20.2% at 4pm
• 12.4% at 5pm
• 6.7% at 6pm
• 5.8% at 7pm
• 10.7% at 8pm
Almost 2.9 million extra pints poured
Pubs served the equivalent of 6,552,490 pints, representing a 77.8% uplift compared with a typical July Wednesday and almost 2.9 million additional pints. On average, this generated an estimated £1,131 in draught beer revenue per venue.
Across England, pubs averaged 213 pints per venue, an increase of 83.7% compared with normal July Wednesday trading.
Major hubs
Dojo's transaction data also showed Birmingham recorded the strongest increase in fullday pub spending, rising 126%, followed by Sheffield (+95%), London (+78%), Leeds (+74%), Brighton (+70%), Bristol (+67%) and Newcastle (+67%).
Urban pubs benefited most from England's victory, with draught beer sales increasing 98.0%, ahead of suburban venues (+68.3%), city centres (+52.9%) and rural locations (+23.9%).
Winners at the bar
World Lager once again led celebrations, increasing 121.3%, followed by Total Lager (+96.7%), Premium Lager (+96.5%), World 4% Lager (+90.8%), Cider (+83.2%), Stout (+68.9%), Craft Beer (+55.5%) and Ale (+22.7%).
Regionally, the East of England recorded the strongest growth in draught beer sales, increasing 116.2%, while London achieved the highest average sales per venue at almost 292 pints per pub, up 99.7% on a typical Wednesday.
Alison Jordan, CEO of The Oxford Partnership, said:
"A 5pm weekday kick-off could easily have limited trading, but instead it produced one of the strongest midweek performances we've seen during the tournament. What's particularly compelling is that three independent datasets tell the same story. Supporters
left work early, pubs filled well before kick-off, spending surged throughout the afternoon, and that additional footfall translated into almost 2.9 million extra pints sold across the UK.
" Major sporting occasions continue to provide a significant boost for hospitality, but this demonstrates something even more powerful – fans are prepared to reshape their working day to experience these moments together in the pub. That's good news for
operators, suppliers and the wider hospitality sector."
Source: The Oxford Partnership Market Watch 2nd July 2026
