How the World Cup is shaping behaviour at home and away from home in the UK

8 June 2026

Anticipation is building as the World Cup approaches, with good weather, longer days and optimism around the home nation’s performance providing a welcome lift to the public's mood amid ongoing socio-economic pressures.

However, later match timings are shaping how audiences plan to celebrate. Behaviour is divided, with some choosing to watch matches out of home, while others prioritise the convenience of celebrating at home, driving demand for quick, affordable home viewing solutions. This article explores plans for the World Cup from a shopper and away-from-home perspective.

World Cup: how retailers and operators are activating the tournament

27 May 2026

As the FIFA Football World Cup approaches, retailers and away-from-home operators are gearing up to capitalise on one of the biggest global sporting moments. From in-store theatre to experiential viewing and tailored promotions, businesses across Canada, the UK and the USA are rolling out a range of activations to engage fans and drive spend.

This article is published in two parts: explore how retailers globally and away-from-home operators in the UK are activating the 2026 World Cup across Part One and Part Two.

Five predictions for food and drink purchases for World Cup 2026

20 May 2026

Our latest World Cup retail insights highlights five key predictions for 2026, exploring how consumer behaviour will shape grocery retail trends, from grocery delivery and promotions to evolving retail strategy and at-home occasions.

Kicking off our World Cup coverage

18 May 2026

With many European leagues and competitions coming to an end, many football fans are increasingly turning their thoughts to the FIFA World Cup 2026, which is set to begin on 11 June.

Globally, our analysts have been tracking how retailers, away from home operators, and suppliers have begun to activate the event, seeking to benefit from consumers’ desire to enjoy the games together.

Insights combining all our insight services

Our coverage will combine all parts of our research programme: Retail Analysis, ShopperVista, and Away From Home, to provide you with global inspiration and ongoing insights to help you uncover opportunities and learn from standout activations to shape your planning, execution and post-event reviews for 2026.

Through ShopperVista, we will track shopper behaviour, which, given the later timings for some matches, will look at whether they will be spending these at home or out, and what role delivery could play. The research will look at whether people will be hosting or attending others’ events, which, together with further insight, will help identify key opportunities across certain missions and occasions.

Our Retail Analysis and Away From Home analysts will identify best-in-class activations globally, highlighting standout examples and successes across all retail channels and away from home sectors.

Where will consumers be spending their money for the World Cup?

How each will look to promote their benefits, especially given the ongoing cost-of-living pressures many are facing, will be key, while we will also track how this evolves as the tournament progresses, and how activations drive spikes in engagement and spending.

Also, the coverage, driven by our global research programme, will bring you insight from around the world, highlighting how retailers, operators, and suppliers are promoting their products and categories, providing you with inspiration for future events.