Super Bowl Shaping Up To Be the Next American Holiday, at Least as Far as Omnichannel Sales Are Concerned

There's Christmas, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Father's Day, Mother's Day, Valentine's Day — and of course, shopping-centric holidays such as Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

But in the catalog of holidays with a price tag often attached, whether you celebrate simply or lavishly, perhaps none is as uniquely American as the newest U.S. holiday coinciding with a massive spend: the Super Bowl.

Super Bowl Becoming an Instigator for Significant Omnichannel Spending

While the Super Bowl being a big deal isn't anything new, the spend associated with the event has blossomed into countless avenues as brands scramble to capitalize on the excitement surrounding the big game.

As Chain Store Age senior editor Dan Berthiaume suggested, Super Bowl LIX is shaping up to be a one-of-a-kind opportunity for brands, both retail and beyond.

"Now, the grand finale to the football season, the Super Bowl, is emerging as a single-day event with consumer participation and interest approaching that of calendar mainstays such as Christmas," Berthiaume wrote. 

"According to data from Numerator, two-thirds of consumers will watch the 'Big Game,' and a combined half of those viewers will host or attend a home gathering or watch in a bar or restaurant. This is a national party, and retailers and brands want to be sure they’re included on the guest list via every selling and marketing channel possible," he added.

Berthiaume outlined a few major examples backing his point.

• Livestream shopping: Provided via Tubi, who is partnering with Shopsense AI to host a livestream shopping Red Carpet event, this curated stream allows customers to buy items via smartphone throughout game day. Items include football-related party essentials, fashion and accessories tied to trends worn by notable WAGs (wives and girlfriends of star players), team apparel, and other fan merch.
• PepsiCo and Wing do drone delivery: Select fans in the Frisco, Texas, market will be able to snag a promotional pack delivered via drone. Packs feature Doritos, Tostitos, and Pepsi Zero Sugar soda.
• Discount bundles from Walmart and Amazon: Both retailers are offering discounted "Game Day" bundles for sports fans. These bundles feature tailgate menu favorites and are available for in-store pickup or delivery.

Tubi's Red Carpet Livestream Shopping Experience Puts Super Bowl Front and Center

Hosted by famous model Olivia Culpo, herself married to San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey, the Tubi-Shopsense AI collab coming in the form of a shoppable Red Carpet event may prove a test case for more interactive shopping experiences built around U.S. cultural touchstones like the Super Bowl.

“Television is rapidly transforming into an interactive marketing platform that can effectively influence consumer behavior from initial awareness to final purchase,” said Shopsense AI CEO and co-founder Glenn Fishback, as Retail Touchpoints reported.

“With this partnership, we’re bringing the power of shoppable TV to one of the biggest cultural moments of the year. This is the future of retail, where every entertainment touch point becomes an opportunity for brands to captivate and connect with consumers," Fishback continued.

Tubi CRO Jeff Lucas was equally enthusiastic about rolling out the red carpet on game day in his remarks concerning the shopping event.

“Tubi’s collaboration with Shopsense AI is an important step forward in blending entertainment and commerce for brands and consumers through retail media CTV partnerships. Our commitment to delivering premium entertainment that is free and accessible, combined with an incremental audience that is incredibly passionate about our content, allows us to experiment in ways that are tangible and truly interactive. Shoppable integrations are the next frontier for ad-supported streaming services," Lucas said.

Pop-Ups in New Orleans From Revlon, Abercrombie & Fitch, Lids, and Urban Outfitters Push Experiential Retail

In advance of Feb. 9's contest between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs, at least four fashion-forward retail brands are going all-out in New Orleans.

Revlon is participating in a massive pop-up (dubbed "The Block") produced by marketing agency Athletes First, one which involves four interconnected mansions and a 10,000-square-foot courtyard complete with pools and gardens. From Feb. 6 through Feb. 8, the "House of Revlon" will exhibit both a Revlon "Glimmer Bar" as well as an "American Crew Grooming Lounge" for the gents. There, professional makeup artists and hairstylists will be on hand to make guests look their very best. Juicy Couture and John Varvatos fragrances will also be provided for sampling.

Abercrombie & Fitch will be running a one-day pop-up on Feb. 8 entitled "Abercrombie House." The pop-up is slated to be located in The Chicory in downtown New Orleans and will feature Super Bowl LIX merchandise alongside selections from the Abercrombie Spring collection. NFL stars will be on hand to mix and mingle with fans, and a custom embroidery station allows participants to personalize their purchases on-site.

“At Abercrombie, we’re all about creating moments of surprise and delight for our customers, and Abercrombie House captures that spirit perfectly,” said company CMO Carey Collins Krug, per Retail Touchpoints. “Combining the energy of the game with our high-quality, vintage-inspired gear, we’ve reimagined how fans can celebrate their favorite teams — on and off the field.”

Meanwhile, Lids has teamed up with New Orleans' Café Du Monde for an exclusive collection of caps to be sold exclusively at Lids locations in the area — as well as at a two-day pop-up at Café du Monde’s Grandad’s General Store — and Urban Outfitters is taking to The Big Easy for a free Fazit pop-up from Feb. 7 to 9 at its store there. Fans can get adorned with red or green Fazit Faux Freckle Makeup, representing their allegiance to the Eagles or the Chiefs, for free.

Tech Retailers and Grocers Round Out the Super Bowl Sales Frenzy

Finally, tech retailers and grocers are two other major players in the Super Bowl sales market, developing their own strategies for picking up a few extra dollars from fans looking to enjoy the big day on a big screen — and with a big feast.

TechRadar was able to round up 23 different Super Bowl TV deals from a variety of different retailers, and Grocery Dive also echoed the assertion that the Super Bowl was becoming a holiday event.

Citing a report from Advantage Solutions, the outlet indicated that a vast majority of respondents polled (79%) said they were planning to purchase party- and family-sized portions for their Super Bowl celebrations. Grocery Dive was careful to point out, however, that Walmart and other mass retailers were laying claim to a significant portion of this assumed spend.