Convenience Retailers Use Super Bowl to Promote Catering Programs

JERSEY CITY, N.J. -- Super Bowl XLVII is the biggest day of the year for the San Francisco 49ers and the Baltimore Ravens, but it also ranks among the top days for convenience stores. While retailers are sure to see a run on snacks, soft drinks and beer, some c-store chains are using the day to promote their catering as well.

Nice N Easy Grocery Shoppes began taking pre-order for catering trays before the big game. Catering items are featured on the upstate New York c-store chain's Easy Street Eatery menu.

Whitehouse Station, N.J.-based QuickChek Corp. is also promoting its catering business, offering customers $5 off any catering order over $30. Its catering menu includes QuickChek's signature subs and wraps, chili and soups – including its home-style soup for 10 people, "The Group Loves Soup."

Super Bowl Sunday also translates into big money for the retail industry. As CSNews Online previously reported, a new survey by the Retail Advertising and Marketing Association -- a division of the National Retail Federation (NRF) -- conducted by BIGinsight found that more than 179.1 million people planned to watch the game on Sunday, Feb. 3. The expected viewership was the most in the survey's nine-year history and up from an estimated 172.5 million last year.

The survey also found most people intend to buy food and beverages for the game: nearly three-quarters (74 percent) of those watching the game will buy wings, pizza, chips, soda and more for themselves and/or their guests.

But not everyone will be tuning into the game to see who brings home the Vince Lombardi Trophy. Over the years Super Bowl commercials have garnered as much attention -- and sometimes more – than the action on the field.

This year's ads feature M&M's new "Better With M" campaign and the TV debut of Anheuser-Busch's Budweiser Black Crown and Beck's Sapphire brands.