Zilch, the intelligent payments platform, has analysed its UK snack and grocery transaction data around England’s Euro 2024 fixtures to understand how major football moments could shape supermarket spending around the FIFA World Cup 2026.
The analysis indicates that grocery spending was strongest in the build-up to England games, indicating that many households stocked up to host ahead of kick-off rather than waiting until match day itself.
- The day before an England fixture was the clearest peak in grocery spend, with spend 15.1% above the June-July 2024 daily average.
- Grocery spend the day before an England game was also 20.5% higher than match-day spend, pointing to a stock-up effect as households prepared for watching games at home.
- Average grocery spend was 9.5% higher during knockout fixtures than during England’s group-stage matches
The data suggests that major football fixtures drive grocery behaviour, with the clearest opportunity for supermarkets coming in the build-up to England games as households prepare for these major sporting occasions.
With England’s World Cup group games taking place later in the evening UK time, retailers may see a similar “stock-up before kick-off” opportunity this summer, as fans prepare for late-night viewing, hosting and at-home matchday occasions.
Commenting on the data, Andreas Andreou, Chief Revenue Officer at Zilch, said:
“With football uniting the nation, major moments like the Euros and the World Cup get fans into planning mode, with our data showing that grocery spend typically peaks in the run up to England fixtures as Brits prepare to mark the occasion.
“For retailers, this is a valuable signal as we head into the next football frenzy. The opportunity is not just the match day itself, but the build-up, when shoppers are in planning mode and ready to spend. That is exactly the kind of real-time intent signal Zilch is here to help grocers act on.”
Zilch works with thousands of retailers, including major grocers such as Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Iceland and Morrisons. This analysis is based on Zilch UK grocery transaction spending around England’s Euro 2024 fixtures.
