New research has revealed that most Australians intend to watch this week’s football finals at home with their partners or friends, creating a significant opportunity for convenience and impulse retailers.
According to a survey conducted by crowdsourced shopper insight agency Snooper, 81% of punters expected to watch this week’s footy finals at their own or someone else’s home. Interestingly, of those, 60 per cent will watch the game with their partner.
While friends figured in 72 per cent of at-home game watching plans of those surveyed last week, partners numbered 60 per cent, and these were primarily couples with or without kids. Only 14 per cent of those surveyed planned to watch at a bar or pub, of whom the vast majority were single.
Two-thirds of those watching the finals at their own or someone else’s home do so in groups of under 10 people, leaving a third holding reasonably-sized entertaining events such as BBQs.
This indicates a sizeable occasion-based opportunity for convenience stores, according to Snooper co-CEO Laurie Wespes.
“Snacks actually figured more prominently than alcohol for those hosting their own footy finals functions,” said Wespes. “Seventy per cent of our Snoopers planned to buy chips, and 60 per cent dips.”
Additional to chips, dips and savoury biscuits, 44 per cent of shoppers planned to buy BBQ items such as sausages, 38 per cent pies and sausage rolls, and 32 per cent for each of pizza and burgers.
“We had quite a few people saying that footy finals were an opportunity to up the BBQ ante and provide something creative and gourmet to impress their friends,” Wespes added.