Despite being a sporting event, the Fifa World Cup has an undeniable impact on UK retail.
Earlier this month, Debenhams Group reported that the event had driven a surge in its fashion football sales, while Co-op returned to market share growth for the first time in a year, as warmer weather and the start of the World Cup helped drive a rise in supermarket spending.
Conversely, at the start of July, BDO reported that the heatwave and World Cup weighed on discretionary retail spending in June, as high street sales barely grew over the month.
In terms of bricks and mortar shops, the World Cup has also presented an opportunity for retailers to get creative with their in-store experiences.
As fans get ready to watch the final this weekend, Retail Gazette looks at five retailers that have recently transformed their in-store experience for the event.
1. Wickes
Last week, Wickes transformed one of its store car parks into a life sized human table football pitch under its partnership with Bauer Media.
The initiative saw presenters from The Dave Berry Breakfast Show on Absolute Radio choosing teams of 20 listeners to participate in a human table football match, built entirely using Wickes products.
The participants were able to compete to win a share of £10,000 in Wickes gift cards.
The activation was hosted by the radio station’s presenters including Jay Lawrence, Andrea Fix, Matt Dyson and Ben Burrell.
The radio station’s listeners were also able to get involved in bagging a prize by predicting the correct winning team online.
In June, Nike’s NikeTown store on Oxford Street, London, transformed itself with World Cup themed displays, photo opportunities, and a free photo booth for visitors.
Ahead of the tournament, the store transformed its ground floor into a football universe, giving shoppers access to national team kits, Nike by You customisation, in-store activations, as well as a photo studio inspired by Rip the Script.
Additionally, the shop’s first floor saw a x2 takeover, where shoppers were able to access collaborative product between Nike federations and its partners such as Palace and Slawn.
Following England’s win against Mexico at 2am on 6 July, Aldi gifted the first 500 shoppers through its doors a £5 voucher to “help shake off the Monday morning slump”.
The voucher was designed to give tired fans “a boost after a sleepless night of football”.
The vouchers were available from 8am on 6 July on a first-come, first-served basis.
Additionally, the discounter slashed the price of its prosecco to £5.49 for 24-hours as England advanced through the competition.
And if England goes all the way and wins the trophy, the price will be further cut to £3.99.
Additional discounts at the supermarket will be unlocked with each knockout-stage victory, according to Aldi.
4. Asda
Asda ran an experiential football World Cup activation from 17 to 27 June, which travelled to various stores across the UK and featured brands such as Budweiser, Coca-Cola and Lynx.
The Bring It Home activation included an immersive football experience with a large-scale players’ tunnel, crowd noise, lighting and live actors designed to recreate a stadium pitch.
The supermarket’s official brand partners also took part in the live installation to create a multi-sensory and multi-brand marketing activation.
Coca-Cola ran a peel-to-reveal game, Lynx hosted a locker room-style fragrance experience, while Budweiser offered a 0 per cent sampling bar.
Commentators, press-style photo areas and a “coach” character were included in the activation to create a sense of theatre.
5. Selfridges
Earlier this month, Selfridges launched a Fifa 1904 World Cup pop-up, given its name since this was the year the international football federation was founded.
The pop-up, which is open until 19 July, displays the first official Fifa-licensed fashion collection, designed by Maison Kitsuné creative director Marcus Clayton.
The “Resort 2026” capsule consists of “a considered edit merging timeless sportswear with contemporary streetwear” for men and women.
Meanwhile, the “Rue Saint-Honoré” capsule pays tribute to Fifa’s founding address in Paris, and includes elevated essentials and sharp tailoring to celebrate the sport’s heritage via a modern fashion lens.
The pop-up also houses exclusive content from the Fifa Museum, and a seating area complete with a large screen to stream World Cup games.
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