The study from brand design consultancy Harrison and insights firm CGA revealed more than half of consumers rate food and drink at sports stadiums as ‘ok’, ‘poor’ or ‘awful’, with ‘significant’ opportunity to improve the experience and drive spend.
Karl Chessell, business unit director for food and retail at CGA, said: “The data shows consumers have money in their pockets to spend on snacks, meals and drinks as part of their day or evening out but it’s all too often a time-consuming, expensive and poor-quality experience. With more than two-thirds of stadia-goers considering themselves knowledgeable about food and drink, it’s clear menus, service and value in many venues simply aren’t good enough.
"However, the research shows things are changing. Forward-thinking stadia in the UK and US, as well as dynamic casual dining and bar brands, show it’s possible to make eating and drinking out compelling and memorable, and technology is adding exciting new ways to improve engagement and efficiency even further.”
Of the 12.1 million British adults who visited a major sports arena in the past 12 months, the report found more than two-thirds (70%) are male and almost 60% are white-collar workers.
Their average monthly eating and drinking out spend is £113.48 – 27% more than the national average – and half of them (51%) drink out weekly, compared with a third (33%) of the wider adult population.
More than half (54%) consider themselves to be foodies, against a national average of 49%, and almost three-quarters (71%) take a keen interest in food and drink. More than two-thirds (68%) of stadium consumers proactively try to lead a healthy lifestyle, while 69% attempt to live in an environmentally friendly way. Despite having more disposable income, more than two-fifths (42%) of consumers cited expensive food and drink as their biggest frustration when visiting stadiums, with 38% citing lengthy queues.
Harrison founder Philip Harrison said: “Wembley, the new White Hart Lane and Carrow Road in Norwich are leading the way when it comes to expanding and diversifying their food and beverage offerings but many venues have failed to keep pace with the evolution in out-of-home eating and drinking and are falling well short of customers’ expectations. In the US, arenas are some way ahead – their events can be an all-day affair.”