UK pub revenues increase 26% on Euro 2016 opening weekend
UK pubs recorded an estimated 26% surge in revenues during the opening weekend of Euro 2016 as England, Wales and Northern Ireland took to the field.
The estimated figures are based on sales data from an anonymous sample of 500 UK pubs, all of which use cloud-based point-of-sale solution Epos Now, and are compared with an average weekend in June.
Wales, who hadn't appeared at a major football tournament since 1958, saw the biggest increase, with pub sales up 41% on the 2015 average for a Saturday in June.
English pubs saw a smaller surge in takings on Saturday compared with the overall average for Saturdays in June 2015. And pubs in Northern Ireland saw a significant 29% increase in sales versus the average June Sunday last year.
Jacyn Heavens, founder of Epos Now, said: "Given that average takings for a summer weekend are typically high anyway, these increases underline the huge level of interest in Euro 2016 across the UK and highlight the tremendous power of live football as a revenue driver for pubs."
Epos Now expects the momentum to continue this week, despite the fact that the next big match, England v Wales, kicks off at 2pm this Thursday (16 June) rather than at the weekend. Epos Now's projected figures estimate that on the day of the match, the average UK pub can expect a 21% surge on its usual takings for a Thursday in June.
It also estimates that if Wales win, Cardiff pubs would see a 32% surge on their evening sales while London pubs would only witness a 9% increase if there was an England victory.
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