Dive Brief:
- The upcoming Super Bowl between the Atlanta Falcons and New England Patriots is expected to be a ratings bonanza, according to Nielsen. Last year’s Super Bowl attracted more than 111 million viewers.
- Super Bowl parties are just as important to this American tradition as the game itself, and consumers stock up on a host of different food and beverage products to celebrate the occasion each year. In 2016, approximately $82 million was spent on wings, $80 million on salads, $58 million on sandwiches and $13 million on veggie trays.
- Alcohol sales also do well on Super Bowl Sunday, with beer bringing in more than $1.2 billion in sales and wine $594 million.
Dive Insight:
A report by the National Retail Federation reveals that Americans will spend approximately $14.7 billion on food, apparel and other products in preparation for the Super Bowl.
The day is considered the second-most popular day for food consumption in the U.S. (Thanksgiving is first), so it’s a great time for retailers to score a touchdown with sales. Not taking advantage of the Big Game would be as costly as a goal-line fumble.
“The Super Bowl is the food holiday of the football season. In fact, for many non-football fans, it will be the only football game they ‘watch’ and the only football watch party they will attend,” Jay Alley, vice president of retail sales for Fresherized Foods, the Saginaw, Texas-based company responsible for the Wholly Guacamole brand, told The Produce News. “Like the commercials, the food is just as important — if not more important — than the teams that play and the ultimate victor.”
In its own study, Clavis Insights found traditional junk food will still likely be the mainstays at Super Bowl parties, with Coca-Cola, Tostitos, Diet Coke and Lays products consumed in masses thanks to their sugary and salty indulgence factors.
While the food served at Super Bowl parties needs to be crowd-pleasing, that doesn’t mean it should be limited to chips, wings and pizza. Many manufacturers are turning to healthier items to put in front of consumers come Super Bowl time, playing up to those who value eating well.