Euros and Father’s Day combine to Boost Beer Sales in Pubs and Bars

Father’s Day celebrations and the Euro 2024 football tournament and had a significant impact on beer sales, according to CGA by NIQ’s Daily Drinks Tracker. During the seven days leading up to last Saturday (22 June), beer sales surged by 18% in managed venues, resulting in a 9% overall increase in total drinks sales compared to the same week in 2023. This positive trend is a welcome change for operators and suppliers who had faced four consecutive weeks of declining year-on-year numbers.

Key Highlights:

• Euro Matchdays: On England’s Euro matchdays, consumers flocked to pubs and bars to watch the games with friends and family. Sales on Sunday (16 June), which coincided with Father’s Day, soared by 43% compared to the same day in 2023. The second match, against Denmark on Thursday (20 June), saw an even sharper uplift of 53%.
• Challenging Comparatives: While beer sales thrived, other days of the week faced tougher comparatives due to hot weather in June 2023. Sales were negative on all five remaining days, with Friday and Saturday (21 and 22 June) down by 9% and 5%, respectively. Scotland’s game against Switzerland helped mitigate losses, resulting in a 2% decline on Wednesday (19 June).
• Category Performance: Cider emerged as the second-best performing category of the week after beer, with a 7% increase in sales. Wine continued its positive trend with a 6% rise. Spirits, although achieving only 0.3% growth, had their best week since early May. Soft drink sales, however, declined by 4%.

Looking Ahead:

“England’s game on Saturday should provide another boost for bars and pubs,” said KPI Hospitality Business Development Manager, Tony Lewis. “The importance of the Euros is even more sharply felt when the weather is so unseasonably cool. It would be a real boost to the trade for England to go further in the tournament and produce some more bumper days, although the likelihood of that is as unpredictable as the weather based on recent performances.  Owners should highlight the distinctive atmosphere of pubs and bars to entice viewers away from their sofas during the knock-out stages and make a night of it at the local.”

If you need staff during the Euros or other peak times, contact KPI Hospitality:

• England: Tony Lewis, TonyL@kpihospitality.co.uk 07706 328653
• Scotland: Mick Hayes, MichaelH@kpihospitality.co.uk 07874 867456