Shopkick survey finds that for most consumers, safe viewing parties matter, brand names do not

Beloved for the competition, snacks, commercials, and halftime show, COVID-19 can’t and won’t stop Americans from enjoying the Super Bowl. Most Americans (58 percent) plan to watch Super Bowl LV, and overall, 56 percent even say this year’s celebrations will be the same as last year’s. And while name brands might dominate the ads, they won’t be as important in shoppers’ carts, a trend that has remained prevalent throughout the pandemic. 

Shopkick asked more than 14,000 Americans about this year’s Big Game plans, including who they will watch with, where they will pick up groceries and how much they plan to spend. 

Insights include:

• Home Team Advantage: For most, this year’s Super Bowl celebrations will be spent at home (86 percent) and only with members of their household (73 percent). Others say they will watch the game with members of their pod (12 percent) or by themselves (10 percent), while 5 percent say they will be watching with friends and family outside of their pod. 
• Huddling Youths: Younger generations appear more willing to be around people outside their home, with a larger segment of Gen Z planning to watch with members of their pod (19 percent) and outside their pod (12 percent), compared to only 12 percent of Gen X who will watch with members of their pod (12 percent), or outside their pod (4 percent). 
• Grabbing Game Day Groceries: The majority of consumers plan to buy groceries to prepare at home (78 percent), compared to 18 percent of fans who will order takeout and a mere 4 percent who plan to eat at a restaurant or bar, or at a party. Of those buying groceries, most (88 percent) will pick them up in-store (59 percent will shop at a grocery store, followed by 34 percent who will shop at a big box retailer). 
• Brand Name Bust: Consistent with recent trends, brand names are not important to most consumers (65 percent) when making this year’s Big Game grocery choices. 
• Sunday Spending: With smaller gatherings this year, 47 percent of Americans say they will spend less on food compared to last year, with most people planning to spend under $50 (66 percent). Meanwhile, 48 percent say they plan to spend about the same, and 5 percent plan to spend more. 
• Snacktime at Halftime: When it comes to what will actually be on Americans’ Sunday spread, must-have food items include chicken wings (68 percent), pizza (52 percent), guacamole (37 percent), queso (33 percent), cookies (27 percent), buffalo chicken dip (25 percent), spinach-artichoke dip (25 percent), sliders (22 percent), potato skins (22 percent), chili (18 percent), and pigs in a blanket (17 percent). 
• Bubbly Beverages: Also making an appearance, must-have drinks include soda or carbonated drinks (71 percent) and bottled water (60 percent), followed by beer (50 percent), liquor (25 percent), wine (24 percent), and juice (22 percent).
• Decor Draft: More Gen Zers (21 percent) will be decorating for this year’s football festivities than Millennials (12 percent), Gen Xers (8 percent), or Baby Boomers (6 percent). America’s youngest consumers say they will do so because it is a tradition (38 percent), they want to get more in the spirit this year (29 percent), decorating makes them happy (20 percent), or they want a sense of normalcy (13 percent). 
• Watch Party Reasons: More than half (53 percent) of viewers say they are tuning in solely for the game. As for other spectators, 17 percent say they watch for the halftime show, 15 percent watch for the ads, 11 percent will watch this year for a sense of normalcy, and 4 percent watch for the party food.