With the 2026 World Cup imminent, the grocery sector should be buzzing. On paper, the data looks staggering: up to 34 million Brits are expected to tune in and, crucially, 54% of UK adults plan to watch the drama unfold from the comfort of their own homes.
Commercial directors are rubbing their hands together – and understandably so. They see a guaranteed spike in beer, crisps, and frozen pizzas. But from where I sit as a category management specialist, I see an industry set to repeat the same old mistake: treating the biggest tournament on earth as a series of disjointed, tactical promotions rather than a unified strategic play.
Tactics are important, but they only deliver maximum ROI when they serve a broader strategic plan. Right now, too many brands and retailers are asking the wrong question: “How do we shift more units of product x while the England or Scotland matches are on?” That is tactical thinking – and in my view it’s a bit short-sighted.
A strategic approach asks a fundamentally different set of questions. For those hosting a World Cup get-together, what do they genuinely need to pull it off – and how can retailers position their offerings, online and in-store, to make it easier for the shopper to make it happen?
When more than half the adult population is hosting, cooking, drinking and entertaining in their living rooms, potentially repeatedly over several weeks, the commercial footprint expands exponentially. A hosting household doesn’t just buy IPAs and tortilla chips. It needs soft drinks and juices for the kids and non-drinkers, premium sharing platters and dips, kitchen roll, paper plates and disposable cups.
Think beyond the mainstream fan
The winners this summer won’t be those who shout the loudest on price at the end of an aisle. It will be the retailers and brands that have fully integrated themselves into the shopper’s planning mindset days, even weeks, before the whistle blows – capturing the big weekend stock-up and seamlessly converting it into midweek click & collect orders as the tournament progresses.
This tournament represents a massive litmus test for supermarket loyalty. In an economic climate where household budgets remain tightly stretched, brands cannot afford to press the repeat button and compete purely on price. That’s just a race to the bottom.
The strategic play is to reframe the value proposition so that everyone wins – not to focus purely on price but to offer a premium, at-home experience that is entirely accessible and worth the spend. And yet, while some multiples are doing better online, execution in-store is conspicuous by its absence.
This World Cup is a golden argument for premium own-label and branded innovation. Supermarkets should be curating high-tier pizza ranges, platter deals, dessert deals, cross-category drinks bundles – the list goes on. By doing so, they are not just selling groceries, they are using the World Cup as an unforgettable experience and a vehicle for long-term loyalty well after the final whistle.
The blind spot
Perhaps the most glaring evidence of a tactical gap is how the industry defaults to targeting the mainstream fan: the England or Scotland supporter. It’s an obvious, crowded and unimaginative space.
The UK is home to vibrant, sizeable communities from competing nations – Brazil, Argentina, Morocco, Mexico, Colombia, Senegal. These communities are deeply emotionally invested. They host, they cook and they have distinct viewing rituals. Omitting them from any strategic activation during a global tournament isn’t just a missed trick – it’s bad business. A visit to local supermarkets at the time of writing found that not even where Mexican food is stocked – one of the host countries – is there any reference to it.
The real problem with purely tactical activation is that it produces a short-term volume spike followed by a commercial hangover. Strategically framed activation opens new doors. It allows categories that wouldn’t normally claim a sports association to build a credible role in the shopper’s basket, extends reach to broader consumer sets and creates a highly distinctive proposition.
The brands and retailers that grasp the nettle will certainly enjoy a highly profitable summer. More importantly, they will build better commercial habits that compound over time – ensuring sustainable growth long after the stadiums have emptied.
Patrick Finlay is MD at The Category Management Company
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