Premium ContentMouse over Home then click on Premium Content for information.Whether you're after groceries, team apparel, decorations or a new couch and big-screen TV, retailers are anticipating a busy, billion-dollar weekend.
That's because more Americans than ever will celebrate Super Bowl Sunday this weekend, spending more money than ever, too.
According to a survey conducted by BIGinsight for a division of the National Retail Federation, 173 million people will watch the New York Giants take on the New England Patriots on Sunday. That's the most in the survey's eight-year history and up from an estimated 171 million last year.
Consumer spending for the Super Bowl also will reach an all-time high, with the average game-watcher expected to dish out nearly $64 on related merchandise, apparel and snacks, up from about $59 last year. Total Super Bowl spending is expected to reach $11 billion.
After a solid holiday season, many retailers are meeting consumer expectations by offering promotions on party essentials, including televisions, team apparel and food and beverages, said Mike Gatti, executive director of the Retail Advertising and Marketing Association.
Of the 9,317 consumers polled for the survey in early January, more than 71 percent plan to at least buy food and beverages for the game.
Here are some other interesting statistics from the survey:
» Of those planning to watch the game, more than 63 million are planning to attend a party, up from about 61 million last year. About 36 million plan to throw a party, up from about 35 million who said they would host a party in 2011.
» More than 5 million will buy a new television specifically for the Super Bowl, compared with 4.5 million last year and the 3.6 million who said they would do so in 2010.
» Nearly 73 percent of the viewers said they are also looking forward to the commercials, with more than 8 percent saying the commercials influence them to buy products from advertisers — the highest percentage reported in the survey's history.
Hy-Vee gets app-y
Can't find a product at Hy-Vee? There's an app for that.
The West Des Moines-based grocery chain recently launched a new mobile app that allows Hy-Vee shoppers to create shopping lists, locate products in-store and access weekly ads. Shoppers also can buy catering, floral and bakery items with just a few clicks, engage in Hy-Vee's social media channels and even report out-of-stock items via Twitter.
"We decided to jump into the social media conversation and make our stores easier to navigate by developing an app that helps you find the foods you're looking for faster, and even tweet about what's missing on our shelves," said Ruth Comer, assistant vice president of media relations for Hy-Vee. "This app gives us another way to communicate with customers."
Downtown jobs
The Omaha Downtown Improvement District is looking to hire about 10 employees for its ambassador and maintenance programs as it prepares for the coming 2012 tourism and event season.
The ambassador program, which returns in April, places friendly, well-informed, uniformed ambassadors on the streets of Downtown Omaha to greet visitors, answer questions, provide directions and assist in any way they can. Employees of the maintenance program are responsible for maintaining a clean and inviting environment with duties including litter and trash collection, graffiti removal, tree and flower care and other minor maintenance tasks.
For more information on how to apply, go to the DID's website or call 402-916-1796.
Wooing Chick-fil-A
Could Chick-fil-A be headed to Bellevue? Mayor Rita Sanders hopes so.
After hearing about Chick-fil-A's plans to open the first Nebraska full-service store in Papillion, Sanders started her own campaign to lure the Atlanta-based fast-food chicken franchise.
She gauged the community's interest earlier this month through her Facebook page. Then, she made a pitch to the company. A "Bring Chick-fil-A to Bellevue, Nebraska," Facebook page was also created and as of Monday afternoon had 269 "likes."
Company officials say Chick-fil-A gets 10,000 to 25,000 applications for roughly 60 to 70 new slots that open each year. The chain operates more than 1,560 locations in 39 states and Washington, D.C.; of those, roughly 960 are full-service like Papillion's will be.
This report includes material from the World-Herald News Service.
Contact the writer: 402-444-1336, leia.mendoza@owh.com, twitter.com/LeiaMendoza
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