British shops set to net a record 1.5 billion pounds World Cup bonanza

London, Apr 7 (ANI): Cashing in on the 2010 World Cup bonanza, shops in Britain are set to net a record 1.5 billion pound bonanza.

Experts predict it will bring the "feel good" factor back to the High Street where nearly 70,000 jobs have gone in the past two years.

Maureen Hinton, a retail analyst with Verdict Research, said: "The World Cup will be a huge out-of-the-ordinary boost."

Tesco is already expecting to sell 300,000 televisions, 800,000 flags and 500,000 official England footballs, The Sun reports.

Retail boss David Potts believes the tournament in South Africa will generate sales 20 per cent higher than in 2006, when the competition was held in Germany.

He claimed there were already signs that shoppers were feeling a bit more confident.

Potts added: "Once we get past the Election and further along the road to an economic recovery, people will be in the mood to party."

Tesco kicks off its World Cup campaign in stores on St George's Day, after replacing Sainsbury as the "official supermarket" of the England team, The Sun reports.

Liverpool star Steve Gerrard's wife Alex Curran has helped the Tesco design a new eco-friendly "Bag for Life". (ANI)