This year’s World Cup is set to be like no other. Ever since the tournament's inception back in 1930, it has consistently been a summer affair. But this year, the tournament kicks off on 20th November and runs until the week before Christmas – meaning football fans will be watching in a winter setting.
So, what will this seasonal shift do to consumer behaviour, and what should sellers be doing in order to make the most of this?
Key trends
1. It’s (literally) coming home
The uniqueness of this years’ World Cup means that consumer behaviour has shifted dramatically compared to previous years. New eBay Ads insights found that almost four in ten (39%) of Brits planning to watch the World Cup say that they intend to do so from the comfort of their own home, versus just 12% who plan to watch matches at the pub or an organised screening.
What’s more, 29% agree that they’re intending to invest in items like televisions, soundbars and projectors in order to host World Cup viewing parties – and previous eBay search data concurs. When England beat Ukraine in the 2021 EUROs, searches for ‘soundbar’ and ‘projector’ increased by 87% and 34% respectively compared to the same day a week before.
With this in mind, sellers have an excellent opportunity to engage with shoppers that are preparing to stay at home and deck their halls accordingly.
2. Female footy fever
Recent years have seen a growing generation of female football fans – and especially with the highs of the 2022 Women’s Euros still fresh in people's minds, sellers would do well to cater equally to men and women with their World Cup related products.
Searches on ebay.co.uk show that a growing generation of female footballers was already on the rise during the 2021 EUROs, as searches for ‘girls football kit’ increased by 125% on the day England beat Denmark in the semi-final, compared to the same day a week before.
Unsurprisingly, the England women’s participation and winning of the 2022 Women’s EUROs had an even higher impact on search volumes. During the month of the tournament, searches for ‘women’s England shirt’ and ‘women’s football shirt’ increased by 107% and 115% respectively compared to the month prior, suggesting that female interest in football will increase again over the coming weeks.
Whether you sell gifts, memorabilia or footie kits, making sure you are stocked up on products that appeal to both genders will certainly be a great way to maximise your sales this season.
Top tips
Score sales with the Global Shipping Programme
As the World Cup is a global tournament, you may well attract more international buyers than usual with any World Cup themed products you sell.
With instant access to 135 million buyers in over 190 countries*, the Global Shipping Programme (GSP) can help you reach sellers around the world and grow your sales by up to 18% without changing how you ship**. Items just need to be posted to the UK shipping centre, and we handle the rest from there.
Never miss a shot with Promoted Listings
Last but by no means least, our Promoted Listings suite of products is a great way to help your items stand out in the eBay marketplace during the World Cup.
You can also champion your inventory and get your items in front of the right people by taking into account this key criteria:
- Number of listings - the more listings and inventory you have can help to build your eBay profile
- Listing type - ensure you have a high volume of stock in your range or add new products to your range of listings on a regular basis
- Stock behind the listing - as much as possible, make sure you have enough items to meet the demands of your buyers
- Sense of value - use tools such as coded coupons or ‘Offer to Buyers’ to send your customers unique discounts and promotions
If you’re looking for more information on the above tips, check out our courses on eBay Academy. With the World Cup about to begin, making the most of this global event could help to boost your sales this winter.
*https://investors.ebayinc.com/fast-facts/default.aspx
**eBay internal data based on the performance of a sample of eBay business sellers for a 3-month period prior to and after joining the Global Shipping Programme 2021/2022.
