The Women’s World Cup has provided a significant boost to hospitality venues across Greater Sydney, as a multitude of fans flocked to the city to watch the games and take part in the excitement, new Westpac data showed.
The sports event, according to the big bank, provided a valuable mid-week stimulus for businesses as support reached fever pitch Wednesday night for Australia’s semi-final against England.
According to Westpac DataX’s research, card spend in hospitality venues in local government areas that hosted the live sites of the match increased by a massive 84%, compared to the average spend in the previous four weeks. The increased card spending was also significantly more than the 86% figure in areas not hosting a live site.
Overall, card spend in hospitality venues across Greater Sydney surged by 80%. A significant jump in the number of people going out to watch the game led to up to a 90% spike in transaction volumes.
The game night also saw card spend increase by approximately double at venues from interstate visitors, compared to the prior four-week average. In comparison, spending on food delivery apps lifted by just 0.6% for the same period.
The analysis by Westpac DataX, Westpac Group’s data analytics business, was based on de-identified transactions on Westpac-issued credit and debit cards between 4pm to midnight in the Greater Sydney area on Aug. 16.
Mandy Rutherford (pictured above), Westpac’s managing director of cash and transactional banking, said it was “fantastic” to see hospitality businesses reaping benefits from the surge of enthusiasm for the Women’s World Cup.
“We’ve seen people choosing to go out and enjoy the matches together, which has provided great shared experiences for the community and local businesses in the surrounding areas,” Rutherford said.
“This uplift in activity provides a valuable economic contribution, whether it be venues putting on more staff to meet demand through to increased spend activity by patrons, which is particularly valuable mid-week.
“Australia is a sport loving nation and support of the women’s team has been no exception, with hospitality spend for the semi-final even eclipsing this year’s State of Origin Game 3.”
Rutherford added in a media release that the big bank is an active supporter of women’s sport through its partnership with the National Rugby League Women (NRLW).
“So, it is fantastic to see how the nation has embraced the Aussies and women’s sport during this tournament,” Rutherford said.
The partnership with NRLW, as well as with NRL, announced in October, sees Westpac providing financial support for competitions and serving as an official match ball sponsor.
The sponsorship deal also sees the bank providing equal opportunities for the next-generation NRLW players via the RISE Rookie Academy, investing in the RISE Coach Development Program, which is designed to develop and empower the next generations of coaches, and investing in a program that provides regional communities with the opportunity to get involved with rugby league every year as players, officials, and volunteers.
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