Predictions and football go hand-in-hand.
Buddy #1: “Bet on it! State beats Tech by three touchdowns this year.”
Buddy #2: “You’re crazy! Ten touchdowns at least.”
But what happens when we ask football fans to predict their go-to brands and retailers for the upcoming football season? After all, football season is a boon for many businesses, as shoppers load up on everything from chips to chili to enhance the gameday experience.
Let’s look at some fan predictions.
Survey: Top Brands, Retailers of Football Fans
This weekend, Field Agent surveyed 1,200 football-viewers* who expect to watch at least 10 American-style football games at their homes this season. Our aim was to understand the foods, snacks, beverages, retailers, restaurants, and shopping methods that’ll drive consumption during the 2019 football season.
*All respondents were U.S. adults at least 18 years of age and smartphone owners. The survey was conducted exclusively through the Field Agent mobile app. Demos: Gender - Male (53%); Female (47%); Age - 18-34 (30%), 35-44 (37%), 45-54 (19%), 55+ (14%); Race – Caucasian/White (78%), African American/Black (8%), Latino/Hispanic (5%), Other (8%); Household Income - <$35K (18%), $35-49K (16%), $50-74K (23%), $75-99K (18%), $100K+ (24%).
Below we offer several insights from this survey as a QuickFire Q&A.
QuickFire Q&A: Brands, Retailers of Gameday Shoppers
1. What chips/salty snacks will football-viewers reach for while watching games at home this season?
No gameday is complete without the chips—a big ‘ol bowl of them.
In fact, in our survey, a whopping 94% of football-viewers said they expect to munch on salty snacks on a typical at-home, gameday this season, whether it's chips, pretzels, snack mixes, or something else.
But which salty-snack brands will score this year? As you can see in the chart below, Doritos is poised for a strong season.
2. Which sodas will wash it all down?
For most fans, soda’s a must-have when football rolls around. In all, 74% of respondents in our survey said they expect to drink carbonated, non-alcoholic beverages this season to enhance their at-home, game-viewing experiences.
Among soda brands, Coke is the undisputed preseason favorite, while Dr. Pepper and Sprite also made strong showings.
3. And what about the beer and liquor?
Seventy percent of respondents said they’ll knock back an alcoholic beverage when watching football games at home this fall. It looks like the 10 beer brands below will be the real title-contenders.
Among those who expect to consume alcoholic beverages on a typical gameday this year (n = 836), some 78% said they’ll enjoy a stiff drink while cheering on their teams. (Some of us will need it more than others.)
The top liquor brands in our survey were Jack Daniels Whiskey (24%), Bacardi Rum (22%), Crown Royal Whiskey (20%), Smirnoff Vodka (19%), and Grey Goose Vodka (18%).
4. What will be on all those backyard grills?
I can smell it now. The unmistakable aroma of backyard barbecues in the fall.
Exactly three-quarters (75%) of football-watchers in our survey said they’ll grill outdoors on a typical gameday this football season. Another 57% said they expect to pick up “takeout” on gameday, and 50% to order food for delivery.
But what will they be grilling and ordering, exactly? We asked our sample, and it appears hamburger and pizza made the first-string.
5. Where will they purchase all this gameday goodness?
The first four questions dealt with what. Now, let’s address the where.
We asked football fans to identify the retailers from which they’ll at least occasionally purchase groceries this season to enhance their game-viewing experiences. Here’s how it panned out.
And since football season is also prime time for ordering and “taking out” food, which restaurant chains will have strong showings this season? In our survey, pizza purveyors Pizza Hut (39%), Domino’s (36%), Little Caesar’s (34%), and Papa John’s (30%) bested their pizza-less rivals Taco Bell (28%), Subway (26%), Chick-fil-A (25%), and McDonald’s (25%).
6. How will they shop for gameday groceries?
Remember when we just assumed shoppers would buy their groceries in stores? Here in the omnichannel age, it’s no longer a foregone conclusion.
We asked fans to identify all the ways they expect to purchase and acquire groceries this football season to enhance their at-home, game-viewing experiences.
While brick-and-mortar still dominates, note how many fans will make use of grocery-pickup. It makes sense: Less time shopping = more time watching football.
Speaking of grocery pickup and delivery, the third volume of our popular Groceries 2.0 report takes you even deeper into the world of digital and omnichannel grocery. Preview and download this free report below.
Free Report: All Things Digital-Grocery
Based on surveys and studies with approximately 4,500 everyday shoppers, Groceries 2.0, Vol. III is a fun and informative look at “the rise of online grocery-shopping.” Spanning almost 30 pages, the free report explores questions like:
- How many U.S. households purchase groceries online for store pickup, package delivery, and “fresh” delivery?
- Which retailers are leading the way in the digital-grocery era?
- What are shoppers' top concerns about buying groceries online?
The free report also includes several "digital-grocery spotlights," with up-close looks at the Aldi-Instacart pickup partnership, pickup operations among regional grocers, and more.
Download Groceries 2.0, Vol. III today…and get up to speed on all things digital-grocery.
