Women’s World Cup set to generate £333m food & drink retail spend

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Food and drink retailers are set to welcome a £333m sales injection during the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, which kicks off on Thursday 20th July.

The Women’s World Cup 2023 Spending Report by savings site, VoucherCodes.co.uk reveals that, despite the early kick off times of the games, 21.9m supporters are expected to tune into the competition.

Of the total viewers, 19.1m (87%) are set to watch from the comfort of their own homes. As the tournament is being held in Australia and New Zealand, fans are presented with plenty of early starts, so only 4.9m (22%) people are predicted to watch the competition from their local pub, bar or restaurant.

As a result, retail spend is set to far outweigh spending in hospitality venues. Spending on food and drink makes up the lion’s share of sales, but merchandise also represents a £21.8m opportunity, while a further £19m is set to be spent on decorations.

With every fan watching at least one match at home, and due to the early timings of the games, it is expected that most of this food and drink spend will be on breakfast items, unlike during last summer’s Women’s Euros where consumers were hosting BBQs and garden parties.

With the earlier kick-off times, 66.7m cups of tea and coffee will be consumed while watching the games, while 10.9m pints of beer and cider are expected to be drunk, claims the report.

Total 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup predicted retail spend by tournament stage

Retail spend (£m)	Group Stage	Round of 16	Quarter-finals	Semi-finals	3^rd Place Play-offs	Final
Food & Drink	98.4	41.4	16.1	87.5	40.3	49.3
Decorations	3.6	2.8	2.7	4.7	2.5	2.7
Electricals	15.4	5.6	3.1	4.4	1.2	2.9
Merch	4.3	3.3	2.9	5.0	3.1	3.2
Sportswear	12.0	8.1	7.7	13.6	8.3	7.9
TOTAL	133.7	61.2	32.5	115.2	55.4	66.0

Maureen McDonagh, SVP international & managing director at VoucherCodes.co.uk said: “The ongoing cost-of-living crisis, paired with the early kick off times means that many consumers are likely to choose to watch this year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup from home in a bid to save money. As a result, retailers can expect a busy period in the run up and during the tournament as fans stock up their fridges and cupboards with match day essentials.

“Women’s football has also gained a family following so marketing World Cup offers to families is key to driving sales and keeping these customers coming back to your brand, even after the tournament has ended. ”