Pubs across the UK could receive a welcome £6 million boost from England’s World Cup Quarter Final clash against France this Saturday.
But according to small business insurance provider Simply Business, some owners will go into this weekend having to choose between hosting Christmas parties or showing the England game.
The ‘glass-half-empty’ analysis is that a normal summer World Cup could have delivered a multi-million pound lifeline to the hospitality trade far earlier, without forcing a compromise with festive season bookings.
Figures compiled by Simply Business suggest that, had the England men’s team reached the final of the World Cup this summer, an additional 38 million pints of beer would have been consumed in the UK which, based on an average price of £4.07 per pint, would have netted pubs a huge £154,660,000.
Even if England hadn’t reached the final of a summer World Cup, pubs could still have expected to see 14 million extra pints poured during the group stages alone, amounting to a guaranteed summer boost of around £57 million.
Though the winter competition is still attracting punters, Simply Business said there was concern that the full effect of World Cup trade will not be felt, with pubs already naturally seeing an upturn due to the festive period.
Ben Stanford, who runs The George & Dragon pub in Much Wenlock, said: “The lack of summer tournament football has resulted in lost revenue, as we would have been showing all of the home nations games. I’m not sure how the rest of the year is going to pan out – the impending increase in energy costs could result in the pub closing all together. With the current cost of living situation, I’m not sure we’ll make much extra by showing the football in December.”
The analysis from Simply Business comes as pubs continue to close at an alarming rate, with pub numbers now at their lowest on record as inflation and rising costs eat into profit. The changes to VAT and business rates announced in this year’s Spring Statement will have also significantly hit the pockets of owners in these industries.
The firm’s UK CEO, Alan Thomas, said: “Having been hit disproportionately by the impact of the pandemic, owners are now having to contend with soaring costs and rising energy prices – for many, this summer has been about survival as their recovery from the impact of the pandemic continues.
“This makes the lack of a summer World Cup an even bigger blow. Now more than ever, small businesses needed a boost. The surge in trade – to the tune of up to £155 million for UK pubs – would have come at a critical time for hospitality owners, many of whom are working hard to stay afloat while battling the impact of a surging cost of living.
“As the winter World Cup overlaps with the festive season – another crucial time of year for the industry – pub owners are forced to prioritise. For many, profits will inevitably be down, with publicans seeing their two busiest times of the year rolled into one.”
