World Cup and heatwave lift UK consumer spending in June

UK consumer spending rose 1.9% year-on-year in June, driven by the World Cup and a heatwave, according to Barclays data.

• Spending growth accelerated from 0.8% in May, with pubs seeing the biggest boost, Barclays reported.
• England’s group-stage win over Panama on 28 June was the busiest pub day of 2026, with takings five times the daily average.
• Online non-food sales increased 5.1% year-on-year, while in-store non-food sales fell 1.1%, BRC and KPMG data showed.
• The British Beer and Pub Association predicted England’s semi-final against Argentina would result in an extra 6 million pints poured.