Summer always brings some fine sporting highlights. It may be the big dates in the cricket season, Wimbledon, Royal Ascot, or even the Henley Regatta for rowing fans.
However, this summer has a few extras to add. While cricket’s T20 World Cup may be a bit of a niche interest, the Euro 2024 Football Championships now underway are anything but, especially with England among the favourites and Scotland also taking part in the tournament.
While the Welsh may not be quite so keen on that after narrowly missing out on qualification, even they may be avidly watching, even if some of them might just have a general interest – or perhaps want to cheer on England’s opponents.
After the football concludes with the final on July 14th, attention will turn towards Paris and the Olympic Games, 100 years after the same city played host to the events immortalised in the film Chariots of Fire.
Packaging For A Sporting Summer
All this has the potential not just to keep a lot of eyes fixed on the TV or prompt thousands to travel to Germany or France to watch the action in the stadiums. It also offers real opportunities for food and drinks retailers to capitalise. This could include custom takeaway packaging themed on these events.
For example, the packaging could have lots of football-related motifs or the Olympic rings, images of players and athletes, or retro elements featuring past footballing heroes or Olympic gold medallists.
It should not escape the attention of any food and drink retailer that fans will change their normal consumer habits at times like this, especially when it comes to football. Some may gather in groups at people’s homes or pubs to watch the matches and that can mean either eating out before or after the pub trip or stocking up at the shops.
How The Retail Sector Is Responding
This phenomenon and the marketing opportunities it brings were highlighted in a recent article by The Grocer. It noted that this is very broad and stretches across all sectors, from an obvious case like former England player John Barnes releasing a record (shades of World In Motion in 1990?) through to Unilever pushing themed Lynx and Dove products.
Unilever is also getting in on the act with various food condiments, while retailers like Asda, Waitrose, Aldi and Morrison’s are releasing ranges of own-brand foods. Notably, these include items like pizzas and cakes, showing that takeaway outlets could face direct competition in the themed food category.
Heck sausages are also getting in on the act, which is perhaps appropriate considering the tournament is in Germany.
Head of retail and consumer insight at Kantar Fraser McKevitte told the publication: “Major sporting events can have a big impact on grocery sales, particularly in categories like alcohol.”
Looking back to the 2022 World Cup, he added: “During England’s quarter-final match against France in the 2022 FIFA Men’s World Cup, take-home beer sales hit their biggest daily takings of the year outside of Christmas.”
Retailers could enjoy a “welcome boost” if the tournament is accompanied by better weather, the expert concluded.
With a lot of games being played in the evenings around 8:00 pm BST, there could be a big opportunity for some takeaway providers, as it makes evenings around the box soaking it all in easier if nobody has to take the time and effort to prepare tea. If people come in groups to someone’s house, the temptation to feed them this way will be so much greater.
The Olympian Difference
The Olympics will present a slightly different pattern of consumption. While the attention and interest levels will still be great, the multi-sport nature will mean there is not the same focus on people gathering en masse at a particular time of day to see a particular fixture.
Instead, events will overlap and vary in their duration; there won’t be much point getting food in to watch the men’s 100m for a matter of seconds, while some contests, such as the sailing or marathons, will be slow burners.
However, there may be some niche appeal events, like an evening of track cycling events where Team GB will be expecting their usual big haul of medals.
All this might leave fans of some other sports feeling they are missing out a bit. This summer will bring goodbyes for legends such as cricketer James Anderson and, in all probability, tennis legend Andy Murray as he plays at Wimbledon for the last time.
However, while many will be keen for them to bow out on a high, for retailers looking to cash in on this summer’s great sporting events, the football and Olympics are where the gold is to be found.