How 2023 Super Bowl Fans Match Up at the Grocery Store

As football fans get ready for the 2023 Super Bowl on Feb. 12, food retailers are also preparing for the influx of shoppers looking for supplies to celebrate the Big Game. Statista estimates that consumers will spend $16.5 billion this year, up almost $2 billion from last year. Each consumer is expected to shell out an average of $85, mainly on food and beverages.

While 61% of consumers plan to watch the 2023 Super Bowl, 43% plan to cheer for the Chiefs, 39% will root for the Eagles and 18% aren’t cheering for either team, according to consumer insights and data company Numerator.

Numerator leveraged its verified purchase research, a sentiment survey of 2,000-plus consumers, and psychographics data, to delve deeper and determine how each fan base matches up against one another for the two biggest Big Game purchases: beer and snacks.

Beer is the top alcoholic beverage choice for Super Sunday watchers (47% plan to buy), followed by wine (28%) and spirits (24%). In regard to which beer football fans will spend their money on, Eagles enthusiasts will be picking up Miller, Bud Light and Yuengling, while Chiefs supporters’ beer dollars will go to Bud Light, Busch and Michelob Ultra.

Eagles and Chiefs fans do agree on their top snack brand, though, as both groups mostly opt for the cheaper private label brands — understandable considering the current high inflationary environment. In fact, Numerator found that 68% of game watchers say that inflation will affect their purchases this year. However, Eagles fans did choose Frito-Lay as their second snack choice, while Chiefs fans went for Lays.

Both fan groups are also on the same playing field when it comes to where they prefer to grocery shop, choosing Walmart as their top choice. But they’re in opposition on their follow-up choices. Chiefs fans prefer to buy in bulk, opting for Sam’s Club and Costco, as well as Kroger. Meanwhile, Eagle fans prefer Ahold Delhaize, Albertsons and Wakefern as their runner-up grocers.

The Kroger Co. data division 84.51° also delved into what’s on the menu for Super Sunday. According to its “February Consumer Digest,” chips and dips are the fan favorite, at 72%. This was followed by eating pizza, at 44%; homemade appetizers, at a close 42%; and eating sides, at 35%.   

Not only are grocers getting ready for football fans, but this year Valentine’s Day is also not too far behind. To learn more about whether consumers are poised to spend more on one event over the other, check out “Are Consumers Game for This Month’s Big Occasions?”

Bentonville, Ark.-based-based Walmart U.S. is No. 1 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2022 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America, while its Sam’s Club division ranks eighth. Issaquah, Wash.-based Costco is No. 3; Cincinnati-based Kroger is No. 4;  Ahold Delhaize USA, a division of Zaandam, Netherlands-based Ahold Delhaize, is No. 10; Boise, Idaho-based Albertsons is No. 9; and Keasbey, N.J.-based Wakefern is No. 25 the list.