World Cup fever sees Brits spend 33% more in pubs

During England’s first World Cup match consumers spent 33% more in pubs compared with the week before, figures from Barclaycard show.

The Barclaycard Consumer Spending Index showed customer spend in pubs for the month of June increased by 9.5% year-on-year. Entertainment spend proved to be strong for the month with an 11.3% increase in expenditure on experiences. This included restaurants, which benefited with diners spending 9.7% more in eateries than they did the previous year.

The number of transactions made at restaurants grew by 14.2%, however, the average transaction value dropped by 4%. Overall, non-essential spend grew by 5.5%, which was the biggest uplift since October 2016.

Esme Harwood, director at Barclaycard, said: “Consumer spending maintained its strong growth in June for the second month in a row. As the warm weather continues and World Cup fever sets in, it’s clear many households are prioritising fun in the sun while making the most of the summer’s best experiences.

“While some lingering caution remains, confidence in household finances is at a 12-month high. This may be good news for retailers, especially as many shoppers are keen to use their spending power to help their local high street.”