Bars, restaurants boomed during World Cup
Local spending was up 1.74% during event
Germany was crowned FIFA World Cup champion, but local bars and restaurants also got a bounce from the monthlong soccer-fest, according to data from Moneris Solutions Corp.
A report from the creditand debit-card processor compared food and beverage spending during games to spending during the same time and day of the week in June prior to the World Cup.
It said business was particularly good during the first week, when Edmonton food and drink outlets saw a 6.91-per-cent jump in spending.
Week 2 saw business slow down, with only a 0.83-percent boost, and bounce back in Weeks 3 and 4 with 2.40-per-cent and 1.98-percent increases, respectively.
Over the entire World Cup, spending at Edmonton eateries and pubs was up 1.74 per cent.
“We saw a boost at a time when we’re not seeing spending generally go up, so people in Edmonton were definitely out supporting the games,” said Rob Cameron, chief product officer at Moneris.
Teams with wide followings such as Argentina had an even greater impact on spending.
“The Argentina game versus Switzerland drove a 77-per-cent increase, which is huge.”
Across Canada, the matches played from June 12 to July 13 boosted spending in the restaurant industry by 6.8 per cent cumulatively.
Among major cities, Toronto led with the highest overall growth at 14.1 per cent, followed by Calgary and Vancouver at 7.34 per cent and 6.58 per cent, respectively.
Cameron said World Cup soccer’s impact on food and beverage sales in Canada has reached levels comparable to hockey broadcasts.
“World Cup soccer is becoming more consistent with what we see with hockey in a country where you wouldn’t think that.”