Snacks, soft drinks and BBQ favourites are set to be on the menu for football fans when the world’s best players line up next month. With such a large, captured audience of viewers, Esme Robinson, director, Platform Solutions at Epsilon, looks at whether retailers can capitalise on the emotion of an eagerly awaited World Cup
The World Cup is a matter of national pride, drama and shared moments and retailers will be looking to tap into these heightened emotions among audiences. Football fans are already preparing for this summer’s event, according to data from Epsilon’s Match Ready: World Cup Audiences Report, with over two-thirds planning what they’re going to buy.Later kick off times for UK fans means more socialising with family and friends, which is set to drive spending on home furnishings and garden accessories such as BBQs and firepits. Interest in technology items is also on the rise with nearly one in five UK consumers planning to buy a new TV or projector to get the full World Cup experience.
For supermarkets and convenience retailers, timing is even more important when it comes to these big moments. The World Cup might be once every four years, but connecting with the right shoppers at the right time and in the right place is crucial.
So, what are the signals they should be looking out for during the World Cup?
The halo effect
This World Cup will be the largest ever with more teams and more matches played. It attracts huge audiences that are both unusually large and unusually mixed, an equal mix of men and women and across generations. It’s a truly shared experience.
It’s not just football fans either planning to tune in. While around half will be made up of regular football league fans, many only tune in for the big events, creating a ‘halo effect’ for retailers looking to connect with shoppers during the tournament. This significant group may not watch the matches but live in households where the tournament will shape routines, conversations and spending.
New habits are forming
Fans are already planning their purchases well ahead of kick-off with 71% of survey respondents anticipating changes to their spending habits during the event. These new behaviours will be driven as much by emotion as practical needs. Emotions also create opportunities with many fans expecting to buy more than usual or unplanned items.
This is how fast funnels form; excitement shortens decision-making, and intent spikes in moments rather than journeys. Where that demand converts is where planning often becomes misaligned.
An expected uptick in spending on snacks and soft drinks, for example, allows brands in HFSS categories to connect with fans at a time when they are particularly receptive. This is a moment when brand activity can translate directly into sales. When brands and retailers show up with well-timed creative, simple brand presence is often enough to influence consumer choice.
For drinks brands, the opportunity goes beyond the expected increase in alcohol sales. Sales of beer, wines and spirits will benefit from the World Cup, but 12% of respondents plan to choose non-alcoholic options during the tournament.
Attention deficit
During the tournament, World Cup viewers will move between screens, settings and social contexts, flipping between one-to-one to one-to-many and back again. This creates an opportunity to be present in the moment, guiding people as they plan the next game.
More than 70% of respondents expect to second screen during matches. For the first time there will be mid-game water breaks when fans check updates, scroll socials and message friends. Almost one in five plan to shop or browse online during live games.
While online and on-demand shopping will drive consumer spending this summer, in-store purchases will still make up the largest share. To maximise the impact of their campaigns, retailers and brands must understand shoppers beyond the channel and device.
Beyond the final
During shared cultural moments like the World Cup, consumer expectations shape how retailers and brands present themselves.
When brands create a playful or rewarding experience, or get fans involved, people don’t just notice, they actively engage. This varies by audience, with regular football fans particularly receptive to interactive elements like games, competitions and rewards.
More important is that this engagement extends beyond the tournament. Three in 10 football fans say that advertising and promotions increase their likelihood of choosing a brand during the World Cup and this is both during and after the event.
This is where loyalty truly shines. Effective activations aren’t generic or blanket offers; they are experiences that resonate with what that individual cares about at that moment. Gamified loyalty is particularly effective because it mirrors how people naturally engage with the tournament in real time.
The World Cup create a rare and exciting environment for retailers. Emotions run high, behaviours change and fans follow, react and respond to it in very different ways. Seeing these audiences as a single group, or assuming it reflects the normal football fan base, risks overlooking the differences.
By understanding who watches, how they watch, and how this shapes engagement and spending, retailers can plan and execute with precision.
