Source: stopandshop.com
Are grocers becoming conflicted over love and football?
For the second year in a row, the Super Bowl and Valentine’s Day are within days of each other, posing challenges for grocers’ marketing teams.
The game was held in January since its inception until 2002, when the September 11 attacks postponed a week of games and extended the season into the first week of February. The season was extended another week over the last two years to bring the big game even closer to Valentine’s Day.
Based on recent surveys, food has become a bigger to-do around the Super Bowl:
- A survey from Adtaxi, a digital marketing agency, found 64 percent of U.S. adults will purchase items in preparation of the Super Bowl.
- Advantage Solutions’ survey found salty snacks, cited by 79 percent, topping the list of items to serve or bring to a game-day party, followed by pizza (70 percent), beer (68 percent), prepared sandwiches (60 percent) and deserts (57 percent).
- Frito-Lay’s just-released Snack Index found 49 percent of those planning to attend Super Bowl parties cited running out of snacks as a worse concern than their team losing the game.
According to Statista, consumer spending around the Super Bowl is expected to reach $16.5 billion in 2023, or an average of $85 per U.S. adult, with around 80 percent going toward food and beverages.
Valentine’s Day, however, is an even bigger spending day. The NRF predicts U.S. sales of $23.9 billion this year, although the holiday is less known for food.
The close proximity of both days has some grocers, such as H-E-B and Stop & Shop, playing up the sale of candies, chocolates and strawberries for Valentine’s Day on websites and circulars, while Wegman’s and Kroger are among those emphasizing game-day favorites and catering for the Super Bowl. Some grocers are focusing equally on both days, although that reduces the call-to-action around a single event.
Speaking to Progressive Grocer, Melissa Myres, director for 84.51° Insights, said that while inflationary pressure may influence spending differently this year, having Super Bowl and Valentine’s Day falling close to each other has so far not been found to cause cannibalization between the two events.
- Frito-Lay Snack Index Reveals Running Out of Snacks is Worse Than Losing the Super Bowl – Frito-Lay/PRNewswire
- Super Bowl 2023: Who’ll Be Watching And What Will They Be Spending? – Advantage Solutions
- New Survey: Americans Utilizing Streaming Services More Than Ever Before for Super Bowl LVII – Adtaxi
- Americans to Spend $23.9 Billion on Valentine’s Day This Year – National Retail Federation
- Delicious for any super fan – Wegmans
- The Ultimate Game Day Party – ShopRite
- Celebrate Love – H-E-B
- Valentine’s Day – Stop & Shop
- Are Consumers Game for This Month’s Big Occasions? – Progressive Grocer
Discussion Questions
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: How should grocers thread the needle to promote both the Super Bowl and Valentine’s Day during the same time period? Should they be concerned that Valentine’s Day sales may be left on the table as they focus on the bigger Super Bowl marketing opportunity?
Poll
Loading …BrainTrust
Lisa Goller
B2B Content Strategist
Gary Sankary
Retail Industry Strategy, Esri
Here in Arizona — the home of this year’s Super Bowl — there is no contest: Super Bowl is wining hands down. All of the grocery stores have massive displays, often in the entrance. Valentine’s ranges are still present, but they are taking a backseat!
Different strokes for different folks. Unless the Packers are in the Super Bowl I am only in it for the commercials, which I record. But Valentine’s Day is a big deal with my kids and now grandkids. If grocers what to make everyone happy, promote both days. It’s a win-win-win.
The Pack in 2024!
YES!
Valentine’s Day and the Super Bowl are two different animals. If I were a grocer, I would recognize Valentine’s Day and promote the Super Bowl. The commentary notes that 80% of the Super Bowl dollars will be on food and beverage. Of the $24 billion projected by the NRF, I suspect the spending will be on restaurants, flowers, presents, and cards, most of which will not be bought in the supermarket.
Any grocer wringing their hands on what to do is wasting their time.
Gene, 100% agree. Had a similar take.
Love and Football. Why is that a choice? It’s like chips and guac or peanut butter and chocolate or whiskey and the glass that holds it. Why choose? Mash ’em up, make it fun — I bet the Super Bowl is not a loveless event. I can’t wait to see multicolored mini footballs with love messages on them instead of those unsavory chalk dust, candy hearts!
Promote both-you buy junk food and beer for Super Bowl parties and Candy and Flowers for Valentines Day … Link the two promotions together … buy your Doritos and get a certificate for 10% off over here for Valentines day.
All sorts of possibilities here!
Then-Go 49ers! Oh, that is right, they lost 🙁 …
I actually think there is opportunity in the two events being so close to each other. At the risk of stereotyping, I suspect there is a large overlap between the target demo for super bowl snacks and Valentine’s gifts. Why not get creative and cross-promote the events and offers?
Super Bowl seems to be winning in my market. I haven’t seen much Valentine’s Day merchandise out in the market. That said, be very careful about using the big game as a reason you forgot to buy a card and gift for those in your life who might be expecting such acknowledgment. That might not work out well. Pro Tip — When you make your snack and bevy run, make sure to hit the card aisle too.
Grocers can woo both the Super Bowl and Valentine’s Day crowds with discounts and promotions on bestsellers and sufficient stock. Pricing remains the key factor influencing this year’s festivities.
Yes, agreed. No matter what, price will be a driver whichever holiday stores wish to promote.
“…Food has become a bigger to-do around the Super Bowl…”
Become? Wasn’t it always? Anyway, back on topic: compared to other conflicts in the world right now — Ukraine, the Middle East, Peru, etc. — I would rank Valentines vs. Super Bowl pretty far down, at least for supermarkets.
Valentines is a niche market — candy (of course), flowers (for stores that sell them) and a few couple-worthy foods; and the Super Bowl is perhaps even more of one (beer, pizza, snacks and sandwich supplies). Neither of these conflicts with the other, particularly, and there’s nothing to prevent both bundles being promoted concurrently.