Football Fans boost UK economy by almost £350 million a day according to Shopmium

18% of UK households spend more than £50 on takeaway pizza and beer on game day

●      The vast majority (83%) will watch the football at home, with fewer than 1 in 10 going to see it in a pub or restaurant.

●      For men the world cup is an opportunity to watch football whereas for women it’s a chance to spend time with family.

●      Three quarters of men will drink beer or cider during the game, while women prefer soft drinks.

●      1 in 4 think England will bring home the World Cup.

Shopmium, the grocery app that helps people try new products for free or at a reduced price, today announced the results of its survey into the viewing and dining habits of British World Cup fans. Of those that said they will be watching the football, a quarter (25%) said they will order takeaway pizza on match days and 65% will drink beer or cider. This adds up to more than £50 per household [1] – or almost £350m [2] for the UK economy – per match day.

Male football fans see the World Cup as an opportunity to watch top class sport with 38% unwilling to miss a single game. That may mean a solitary few weeks for some, with 29% planning to watch it on their own. For women on the other hand, it’s a social occasion. 74% say they’ll watch the World Cup with family (versus 41% of men), while only 8% say they’d watch it alone.

1 in 3 use World Cup as an excuse to order takeaway

The majority of fans use the World Cup as a chance to take a break from their mealtime routines. 59% say they will eat differently on match days, with almost a third (30%) ordering takeaway meals and 15% buying ready meals so they can stay focussed on the games. The change in habits is confined to the home, however. Only 6% plan to go out to eat in a pub or restaurant.

Pizza is the UK’s favourite match day meal with 70% saying it will factor in their game day diet, with 55% also buying in snacks. Women plan to eat more healthily, with 44% ordering salad and/or sushi versus just 31% of men. As a result, women are less likely to order burgers and sandwiches (50% compared to 60% of men).

Beer is cemented as the male football fan’s drink of choice, with three in four (78%) saying they’ll drink lager, ale or cider during the game. Brits will buy an average of 15 cans or bottles per game though a significant minority (8%) will get through 30 or more. Of this group, a hardy 29% say this is the same or even less than usual!

Attitudes and interest

Women are twice as likely to give the World Cup a miss, with a third (33%) saying they’re not into football versus 14% of men. However, the remaining two thirds of women are just as keen to see their team play as male football fans: 47% say they’ll tune in when their favourites are in action (for men it’s 46%).

Most men and women will watch the football at home (82% and 83% respectively) with just 8% travelling to a bar or restaurant to catch the game.

When asked who would go all the way this Summer and lift the World Cup, more people voted for England (25%) than bookies’ pre-tournament favourites Germany (21%), Brazil (17%) and Spain (10%). Women are even more optimistic than men (28% voted for England vs just 20% of men).

“Our survey shows that more than 10 million households [3] will spice up their mealtimes on match day,” said Philippe Cantet, managing director of Shopmium. “That’s no surprise to us – people often like to try something new. But with more than 75,000 products available in the supermarket the challenge is to find things you like. That’s where apps like Shopmium come in.”

-Ends-

Notes for editors

About Shopmium

Shopmium is a free app that lets you access exclusive offers on everyday brands found in the supermarket. As a user, you simply buy the featured product from your nearest store, take a picture of your receipt and get up to 100% cashback paid directly into your PayPal or bank account.

Shopmium works with over 500 of the biggest supermarket product manufacturers, such as Danone, Nestlé, SC Johnson, Heineken, McCain, PepsiCo and many more. Millions of people in the UK and France are already experiencing Shopmium. Shopmium was founded in France in 2011 and is now part of Quotient technology Inc. it expanded into the UK in 2016 and now employees a team of 60 across Europe.

[1] A quarter (25%) said they will order an average of 2.65 takeaway pizzas on match days. Using the cost of Dominos large Margarita pizza at £14.99 this comes to £39.75 per order. 65% said t

hey will buy an average of 2.47 six-packs of beer or cider. An average six-pack sold at the supermarket is £5, providing a cost of £12.50 per order.

[2] There are 27.1m households in the UK, of which 19.7m will be watching the football. 25% (4.930m) will spend £39.75. 65% (12.81m) will spend £12.50. This amounts to £356m.

[3] 59% of 19.7m households