Ahead of the European Football Championships, kicking off 10 June, Empathy Research has revealed that the tournament is set to see consumers spend, on average, an extra €125.
According to research conducted amongst a nationally representative sample of adults aged 18 or over, the vast majority of Irish football fans will watch the games from Ireland. Almost 6 in 10 (57%) claim they will watch the Ireland matches in their own home, either with family and friends (42%) or by themselves (15%).
An average of 15% of adults across the nation will watch from either a pub or a club. The lowest incidence of on-trade viewing will be for Ireland vs Sweden, with 12% viewing in this way. This figure will rise to almost 1 in 5 (18%) adults claiming they will watch Ireland vs. Belgium, which takes place on 18 June, in a pub or club.
For almost a quarter (24%) of all adults, Ireland’s participation in the Euros holds no draw, with this cohort claiming they won’t be watching at all.
At the time of research, just a week before kick-off, there doesn’t appear to be widespread evidence of pre-planned entertainment at play for the games. Only 1 in 8 adults (12%) claim they have made special plans for any of the matches. Of those who have, meeting friends in a bar (44%), just beats a barbeque with friends and family (42%).
Given the high proportion of likely off-trade viewing, the tournament presents a sizeable opportunity for retailers with lots of last minute supplies likely to be needed, given the low levels of pre-planning currently evident. Some 6 in 10 (59%) adults claim they will be spending more money on off-trade entertainment during the Euro’s this summer than they would normally do over this time period. At the centre of this expected increase in spend, is an intention to purchase more alcohol, driven by increased beer purchase (44%), supported by wine (21%) and spirits (11%).
The net result of all this increased off-trade entertainment and socialising, is that consumers, on average, expect to spend an extra €125 over the course of the Euros, with just over 1 in 5 (21%) claiming they are likely to spend in excess of €200.
For further information and more in-depth analysis to better understand consumer behaviour during the Euros, and attitudes to alcohol sponsorship during sporting events, please contact Robbie Clarke at Empathy Research.
