The potentially winning combination of Saturday night’s World Cup Quarter Final against Norway and the UK’s soaring temperatures could give shops their biggest sales opportunity of the tournament so far, according to new data from analysts Circana.
Its data indicates spending on beer and cider in shops fell by 5.2% during the week of England’s opening match against Croatia, compared with the same week last year - equivalent to a £9.3m drop.
However, drinks sales surged the following week as England’s second match coincided with record high June temperatures.
Shoppers spent 23.1% more on beer and cider year-on-year during the week England played out a draw against Ghana and temperatures reached as high as 37.7°C in some parts of the country - a spend equivalent to a £36.8m increase.
Spending on carbonated soft drinks also rose 25.3%, equivalent to £28.3m, compared to the same week in 2025.
Sales of crisps, snacks and nuts have seen a smaller but steadier increase, rising by 5.6% year-on-year in the week England played Croatia, equivalent to £7m more than the same week last year, and 4.2% in the week of the Ghana game, equivalent to £5m more.
Alex Lawrence, senior strategic insight director for UK CPG at Circana, said: “The early signs are that football alone is not enough to drive up retail sales, with cost-conscious shoppers holding back on the beers and spending only a little more on crisps and snacks as they settled down to watch England’s first game.
“There was a big rise in drinks sales in the week of England’s second game, but this was more likely to have been driven by the high temperatures that week. The modest rise in crisps and snacks spending is probably a better guide to football’s effect on grocery sales.
“Another rise in drinks sales is very likely this weekend as the hot weather joins forces with a Saturday night Quarter Final to give retailers what could be their biggest spending increase since the tournament began four weeks ago.”
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