The World Cup is making the kegs flow

INSIGHT - In North American stadiums, the beer kegs were flowing freely. The same was true in front of screens, in pubs, and at the local bar. In Belgium, the out-of-home beer sector represents €1.35 billion, but the World Cup effect isn't benefiting the same players.

© Gondola Foodservice

Record numbers at the stadium

FIFA has released its own consumption figures for the group stage. Spectators in North American stadiums consumed more than 300,000 hot dogs and 2.8 million pints of beer during the matches.

Outside the stadiums, official fan zones sold nearly two million additional alcoholic beverages. A single match, Scotland-Brazil in Kansas City, was enough to empty 32,000 beers in one day.

In front of the screen, the beer also flows

Not everyone was able to travel to the United States, Canada, or Mexico. But in pubs, bars, and taprooms around the world, the kegs kept flowing. In the United States itself, excluding stadiums, the Beer Institute recorded a 5.5% increase in on-premises beer sales nationwide, and a 15.4% increase in the 16 host cities.

Within an eight-kilometer radius of the stadium, beer sales jumped 212%, followed by hot dogs (+228%) and nachos (+87%). Overall revenue for restaurants and bars increased by 51%.

Across the Channel, fans who stayed home lived up to their reputation. Pub sales jumped 67% during the England-Mexico match, driven by cider (+127%) and lager (+76%).

And in Belgium?

Belgium certainly has the assets to replicate this model. According to Gondola data, the beer category represents a total of €2.34 billion, of which €1.35 billion is consumed outside the home and €990 million at home. Within the out-of-home segment, the hospitality sector accounts for €907 million, including €430 million for full-service restaurants and €403 million for cafes and bars.

While beer consumption is slowing down structurally in our country (-3.2% in volume by 2025), the global market is providing a boost. However, not all distribution channels are experiencing the same growth.

Bars and retail, the big winners

When Belgium plays, bars and fan zones are packed. Some fan zones had to close due to lack of space. Data from payment provider Adyen confirms this: during the Belgium-USA match, played at 2 a.m., the number of transactions in cafes and entertainment venues jumped by 2,235% compared to a similar Tuesday, and revenue by 1,462%.

Supermarkets are also benefiting from the pre-match aperitif trend. At Delhaize, beer sales have increased by an average of 15% since the start of the competition, with peaks of 22% on match nights, and crisp consumption has risen by 10%.

The restaurants, spectators despite themselves

The picture is less favorable for traditional restaurants. The Belgium-Spain quarter-final, scheduled for 9 p.m. on a Friday, emptied the reservations of several gourmet restaurants that were not showing the match, from Malonne to Gembloux.

The establishments that broadcast the match capture the traffic, but not necessarily the profitability: the fans come for the beer, not for the card, as evidenced by the 36% drop in the average amount of transactions during the Belgium-United States match.

The World Cup has drums ringing everywhere it goes, and Belgium was no exception. But the national celebrations came to an abrupt halt on Friday, July 10th in Los Angeles: Spain knocked the Red Devils out of the quarterfinals, 2-1, after a run that was as courageous as it was unfortunate. With no Red Devils to follow all the way to the final, the Belgian drums are likely to be ringing considerably less loudly in the coming days.