The payments firm said the tournament had created distinct trading patterns for hospitality businesses, with operators benefiting from increased footfall, later trading and higher consumer spend during the group stage.
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Square data found transactions at pubs and bars rose 121% between 10pm and 1am during key matches, as late kick-offs extended trading opportunities for venues.
Daily sales also rose sharply during England fixtures, with a 57% uplift on Wednesday 17 June during the England versus Croatia match and a 91% increase on Tuesday 23 June during England versus Ghana.
Late-night boost
The data also showed changing food preferences during the tournament, with pubs and bars seeing increases in orders for steak, pizza, crisps and scampi fries.
Restaurant reservations were up 6% compared with normal periods, as customers planned ahead for busier venues during matches.
John O’Beirne, chief executive of Square International, said: “Bars and restaurants are having their busiest late nights in years.
“With the initial England games kicking off between 9pm and 10pm and others not kicking off until after midnight, the tournament naturally extends the evening economy.”
He said spend was “significantly up” across hospitality and added businesses that monitored sales data closely would be best placed to respond to changing customer demand during the tournament.
Sustained demand
The figures follow separate analysis from The Oxford Partnership and Dojo, which found England and Scotland’s group stage campaigns generated an estimated 6.8m additional pints for Britain’s pubs, bars and social clubs.
That data showed England’s three group stage fixtures delivered an estimated 5.5m extra pints of draught beer and cider, while Scotland’s fixtures added a further 1.3m pints north of the border.
Dojo transaction analysis also found pub and bar spending increased 17.3% during England’s first two weeks of the tournament compared with the previous fortnight.
The latest figures highlight the commercial benefits of major sporting events for pubs and bars, particularly as operators look to maximise trading opportunities amid ongoing cost pressures.
