Nov08

Tic, tic, tic… Yes, that ticking you hear is the countdown to big time playoff football

Will your store be ready and stocked to power consumers’ tailgate and house parties?

An array of traditional American football snacks and munchies. — The tailgate buffet has become almost as beloved at football parties as the game has. Retailers must be prepared to offer not only the basics, but also give their shoppers the ability to personalize what they offer to their guests.

As we argue each year, the purists may want to cling to baseball being America’s Pastime, but any red-blooded American knows better: it’s football all the way! Both college and pro football capture our collective interest, passion and eyeballs. And we come together to share the experience.

And the playoffs and college “bowl” seasons present a wonderful opportunity for retailers to fuel their consumers’ viewing behaviors, all of which kicks off in just weeks. The college Bowl season kicks off in just four weeks, and runs through New Years. And the pro playoffs, which kick off in just seven weeks, runs through to the Big Game on February 5, 2017.

Now is the time to be planning not only your store’s orders of tailgate munchies, but also developing your merchandising strategy and then executing perfectly.

There are no timeouts in retailing, and no replays that lead to do-overs. The clock’s a tickin’, so get to it.