With the World Cup in full swing, it is nearly impossible to ignore the soccer craze that is sweeping the public. Particularly in the UK, soccer viewership has spiked, with England’s win over Croatia attracting a peak audience of 15.4 million viewers on ITV and an average of over 10 million, the highest UK viewing figures so far this year. Whether fans are enjoying the games outdoors, at home, or at the pub, Boots and Deliveroo anticipate that World Cup watchers will need more than snacks and beer to survive this summer of sun and soccer.
With the understanding that leaving in the middle of the match to go to the shops is not an option for most viewers and that games often run late into the night, Boots is implementing extended on-demand delivery hours until midnight across 25 UK locations via Deliveroo. This brings its total on-demand services to 500 stores accessible through the Deliveroo, Uber Eats, and Just Eat apps.
Data led the charge. Boots saw a 200% increase in orders for suncare and SPF products, as well as an increase of over 80% in hay fever tablet orders in the hours leading up to the England games on June 17 and 23. Soccer fans are also utilizing Boots and Deliveroo to help them recover post-match, with orders for ibuprofen rising over 50% in the early hours of June 18, the morning after the England vs. Croatia game.
Suzy McClintock, VP Consumer and New Verticals at Deliveroo, said in a press release, "Football tournaments have a unique way of keeping the nation glued to their screens, and nobody wants to risk missing a goal because they had to nip out for essentials. By extending our late-night delivery service with Boots to 25 new locations, we're making it easier than ever for fans to get what they need when they need it. Whether you're celebrating a win at home or need a quick halftime fix delivered straight to the pub, we’ve got your match-day emergencies covered.”
For the past few years, beauty retailers have been acting quickly to partner with same-day delivery platforms. Sephora, Ulta Beauty, and MAC have all built out partnerships with DoorDash and Uber Eats in some capacity between 2021 and 2024.
Ulta Beauty has since ramped up its e-commerce initiatives with the launch of its invite-only, DTC marketplace, UB Marketplace, in October 2025; the rollout of Ulta AI powered by Google Gemini; and its partnership with Uber Eats in May. The payoff shows because Ulta Beauty reported double-digit e-commerce sales in fiscal Q1, with net sales increasing 11.1%.
Boots and Deliveroo have been partners since 2021, suggesting that this football-fueled push is not just a marketing tactic but part of a much broader e-commerce strategy that UK retailers are leaning into.