Who are the real winners of the World Cup? Hospitality, retail and mixed-use destinations

As the World Cup kicks off today, attention will naturally turn to the action on the pitch. However, for landlords, investors and occupiers, the tournament highlights a different battle: attracting footfall.

UK consumers are expected to spend almost £900 million in hospitality venues during the tournament, with £536 million forecast to be spent on drinks and a further £361 million on food. Around 12 million consumers are expected to make purchases in pubs, bars and restaurants throughout the competition.

The obvious beneficiaries are hospitality operators. Fuller's has already indicated that it expects a strong summer, with late evening kick-off times aligning particularly well with traditional pub trading hours.

However, the impact extends beyond pubs and bars. Forecasts indicate that the tournament could generate £3.8 billion of consumer spending across the UK, including approximately £2.9 billion in retail spending.

For landlords, the World Cup serves as a useful reminder of the continued importance of experience-led destinations. Consumers are increasingly drawn to places that offer more than simply shopping – whether that is live screenings, food and beverage offerings, leisure attractions or public gathering spaces.

In many ways, major sporting events demonstrate why mixed-use schemes continue to outperform purely transactional retail environments. The destinations best placed to benefit are often those that combine retail, leisure and hospitality uses, encouraging visitors to stay longer and spend more.

Whilst the focus over the next few weeks will be on who lifts the trophy, landlords and occupiers may be paying closer attention to a different league table: footfall, dwell time and consumer spend.

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