Why The Super Bowl Is A Touchdown For Retail

Ready the queso dip and the chicken wings — Super Bowl 2018 has come. And just like every time the Super Bowl comes (annually, for 52 years), workaholics are preparing to ditch their Bonobos button-downs and board meetings for T-shirts and tailgates, while football fanatics are dropping their old DeSean Jackson T-shirts for new Nick Foles jerseys. And it’s all to see if Tom Brady is patriotic enough to take down a bald eagle. But there’s more to the big game than finger food and football. The sporting event has a huge impact on the retail industry — not least of all, on grocery stores and athletics brands. According to a study by Valassis, 73% of Super Bowl party hosts expect to spend over $50 on the event, and local retailers have a 10-point advantage over retail chains (43% of consumers plan to shop locally, versus 33% at chain outlets). Then there’s the influx of fans in Philadelphia buying Eagle’s gear, the fans in New England buying Patriots paraphernalia, and the destruction of merchandise that falsely names the Minnesota Vikings the champions of the National Football Conference. Read more at Retail Dive.