Brits celebrate summer of sports with 11% increase in spending at UK pubs
Brits gave spending boost to pubs and bars this summer as they took to hospitality venues to catch not-to-miss sporting events, from EURO 2024 to Wimbledon and the Paris Olympics.
Individual spending at pubs and bars in the UK has increased 11% during ‘summer of sport’, compared to the same period last year, according to new research from payments company Dojo. The data also showed a 9% increase in the number of transactions across hospitality venues and pubs among UK cardholders. This marked renewed support for UK hospitality since the rising cost of living, as consumers prioritise memorable experiences in the first summer with no Covid restrictions for many sporting tournaments.
Recent survey data from Dojo found that over a quarter (28%) of UK adults went to the pubs or restaurants during football tournaments and planned to continue doing so this year.
According to the research, before midnight drinking is the latest norm for UK adults, with three quarters (74%) of consumers preferring to go to the pub between 12-9pm, with the most popular times being 3-6pm (29%) and 7-9pm (30%), versus just 3% for 10pm and after.
Creating better experiences for pub-goers
As consumers flocked to pubs this summer, their “must-have” features were outdoor seating (29%), shorter queues (29%) and fast and easy payment options (24%).
Speed remains integral for improving pub experiences. Pub-goers’ top frustrations when visiting a pub this summer included long queues either at the bar (39%) or waiting to pay (23%) and the waiting staff taking too long to take payment (18%).
Half of respondents (51%) shared that speed of payments is the most important factor in their overall enjoyment when visiting hospitality venues, suggesting that upgrading payment experiences at venues is key to improving the experience of customers.
To improve payment experiences at hospitality venues, the top three suggestions from pub-goers are more contactless payment terminals, faster transaction processing, and enhanced security measures. Faster and seamless payment services mean staff can spend less time on waiting for payment to go through and more time on delivering memorable experiences for customers.
Jon Knott, Head of Research and Market Insights at Dojo said: “This year’s summer of sport has sparked a renewed interest in people going out with friends to support their favourite teams and athletes. It’s fantastic to see the resurgence in people enjoying their time out since the high cost of living, supporting the high street.
“We know that seamless payments are essential for creating memorable experiences for both customers and business owners. As we enjoy the first summer without Covid restrictions for many tournaments, pubs and hospitality venues that want to thrive in the experience economy must actively work to adapt and deliver the best service to their customers.”
