Retailers expect €250m Euro boost from sporty men and bored women

Irish retailers expect Euro 2012 to bring them a boost worth €250m.

According to research from Retail Excellence Ireland, businesses are hoping that sales of TVs, sportswear and takeaways will soar during the tournament this summer.

It is estimated a further €18m in sales could be in the pipeline if Ireland reach the final.

The survey finds that 55% of retailers expect their sales to increase. Of these retailers, 52% expect their sales to increase by 1-4%; 12% expect their sales to increase by 4-6% and 6% expect a boost of 6-9%.

A further 30% of those expecting an increase in their sales expect the level of increase to be above 30%.

Other goods that retailers expect will see a lift are are sporting equipment, barbeque meats and salads (weather dependant), sports watches, alcohol, prepay phones and mobile phone texts and call activity.

Many retailers also expect a significant lift in women’s shopping activity due to boredom with the extensive football coverage on television, the survey states.

Retailers responding to the survey also rated the UEFA Euro Championships, the Heineken European Rugby Cup, the World Cup and the Rugby World Cup as the most significant sporting events for increasing retail sales activity.

The next most important sporting events for lifting Irish retail sales are the Punchestown and Cheltenham Races and the Ryder Cup.

While the Olympics are viewed as a positive for retailers, it is seen as the least likely to bring with it a retail dividend.