England semi final drives 78% pub spending uplift

Analysis from card machine provider Dojo found the fixture delivered one of the biggest trading uplifts of the tournament so far, despite England losing the match on Wednesday night.

Hydration break peak

Spending peaked during the hydration break at 21:30, when it was up 204% compared with a typical Wednesday.

Dojo said spending also rose sharply before kick off, with fans arriving hours before the match. The final ten minutes before the game started were among the busiest trading windows of the evening, with spending up 188%.

Spend fell from 188% to 109% as the match kicked off, and half time then triggered a rush back to the bar, with spending up 197% in the 20:50 window.

The uplift continued after the match, with spending still up 99% at 23:00 as fans extended their evenings despite the result.

City spending

Birmingham recorded the biggest average uplift, with spending up 206% compared with a typical Wednesday. Liverpool followed at 159%, while Sheffield was up 134%.

London, Leeds, Brighton, Newcastle and Bristol also recorded strong increases.

Dojo head of research and insights Charlie Ashworth said: “England fans got out and supported in a way we’ve never seen before. The data speaks for itself.

“This was a massive boost for pubs and bars up and down the country, and a real testament to what these venues mean to people when the big occasions come around.”

He added bar staff had “played an absolute blinder” throughout the tournament.

The figures follow previous data showing England fixtures have provided major trading boosts for pubs, including the late night Mexico match earlier in the tournament.

However, recent Barclays data also showed consumers remain cautious, with pub, bar and club transactions rising faster than overall spend in June.