India's FIFA fever drives record sales, packed bars
New Delhi: The run-up to the FIFA World Cup finals has set new sales records for football-related sportswear, snack foods and beverage stocking, as well
New Delhi: The run-up to the FIFA World Cup finals has set new sales records for football-related sportswear, snack foods and beverage stocking, as well as pre-bookings at bars, pubs, clubs and restaurants live-streaming the summit clash.Several venues have even bought or rented extra-large TV sets last minute for what their executives described as the 'biggest sporting night' in the country.Also Read: Messi vs Yamal - Veteran genius vs teenage prodigy"This FIFA World Cup has turned out to be much more popular than I expected.. Despite the late hours, people are still watching in large numbers. I expect the bars showing the final to be jam-packed," said AD Singh, managing director of Olive Group of Restaurants, which runs Olive Bar & Kitchen and SodaBottleOpenerWala.Delhi has allowed bars and restaurants to operate until 4 am Monday. Maharashtra, Karnataka and Telangana, too, extended operating hours.132500981Late-night Policy"A legend. A teenage prodigy. One trophy. One night that generations will remember. Delhi is ready for that night," Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta posted on Saturday, referencing the summit clash headlined by Lionel Messi and Lamine Yamal.In a post on X on Sunday, Kerala chief minister VD Satheesan declared Monday a holiday for all educational institutions.Also Read: Manipur shuts schools for FIFA World Cup finalZorawar Kalra, managing director of Massive Restaurants, which operates Farzi Cafe and Masala Library, welcomed the Delhi government's move.
"This is a proactive business move and in the direction of the 24/7 nightlife we are trying to seek. On deliveries, usually 11 pm - 4 am is the last slot and accounts for 18-19% of our sales; we expect that to increase by about 25%," he said."I hope this is just the beginning and we will see such permissions and probably a late-night policy soon. All bars are packed," said Priyank Sukhija, chief executive of First Fiddle Restaurants that operates Thanks & Beyond and Lord of the Drinks.Merch & GossipSportswear firm Adidas, which sponsors both finalists Argentina and Spain, has seen an "unprecedented" surge in soccer-related gear such as Messi tee-shirts at ₹6,399-7,999, said two executives directly managing the retail outlets.Many of the local stores of the German athletic-wear brand are locally operated by the CK Jaipuria Family Office.Executives at Coca-Cola and McDonald's - both global sponsors of FIFA - said interest in football in India this time has beaten their expectations."We've seen a sharp uptick in demand for limited-edition, country-themed Coca-Cola cans in markets in Delhi-NCR and the North East, where football is a religion in many ways," said Sanjeev Agarwal, group chairman of MM Agarwal Group, which owns Moon Beverages and holds franchise rights for Coca-Cola across north and east India.Interest and awareness about players and their personal lives has also surged among fans in the country.
The BriefWire