Who Wins the Super Bowl? CPGs, QSRs and Retailers
With the Super Bowl approaching, brands have been preparing for months with ads, promotions and collateral. Even though 2019’s viewership was down, the big game presents about 98 million reasons to make an impact. According to the National Retail Federation (NRF), Americans spent a little over $14 billion for the 2019 Super Bowl. This means that each consumer spent an average of $81 on food, beverages, apparel and party goods. While many brands got a Super Bowl bump in sales, there were a few MVPs. Here are the top product categories that really performed.
Pizza
The real competition on Super Bowl Sunday will be between pizza chains. As NFL’s official sponsor, Pizza Hut will bank on this affiliation to deliver millions of pizzas on its busiest day of the year. Additionally, Pizza Hut delivers two other sought after Super Bowl staples—wings and beer—essentially cornering the market. However, formidable opponent Domino’s is likely to scoop up a considerable slice of the business as it typically sells nearly 2 million pizzas and 4 million chicken wings on the biggest football day of the year—about 40 percent more pizzas than on a normal Sunday.
Wings
According to the National Chicken Council, Americans will eat more than 1 billion chicken wings on Super Bowl Sunday, which the nation’s pizza chains will surely be happy to deliver. But even fast casual restaurants are cashing in. Buffalo Wild Wings reportedly sold over 14 million traditional and boneless wings last year for the big game.
Beer
Beer is the most popular beverage consumed during the Super Bowl, followed by soda, and some QSRs (see Pizza Hut above) will conveniently deliver the beverage to your door. For consumers who prefer to pick up their 6-pack in store, beer brands take advantage of the occasion with elaborate Super Bowl displays, featuring dozens of cases of product, to create replicas of football fields, goal posts, coolers and grills.
Chips and Dip
Salty snacks, like chips, are staples at any Super Bowl party. According to PepsiCo’s “Snack Index,” 80 percent of Americans will be eating potato chips or tortilla chips. Don’t forget the guac and queso! U.S. consumers buy up $58 million worth of avocados and 88 million pounds of cheese leading up to the Super Bowl.
TVs
According to NRF, up to 7 percent of viewers bought a new big screen to watch the big game. Retailers have taken notice and deliver some deep discounts on TVs that rival Black Friday deals, according to Consumer Reports. Another big-ticket purchase popular during the Super Bowl: furniture.
Convenience Delivered
During the last Super Bowl, 7-Eleven expanded their 7NOW delivery service with great success. With promotions like $3 whole pizzas and hangover remedies for after the big game, the convenience retailer saw a significant sales lift. Another product that proved profitable for 7-Eleven: antacids. The convenience store chain indicated that antacid sales increased by 20 percent the Monday after Super Bowl Sunday. With the impressive stats relative to all of the other product categories, it’s not a surprise many football fans may feel the burn!
If you are looking to leverage the excitement (and purchasing power) of the Super Bowl with exciting POP print, contact us.