IRI has revealed the Super Bowl’s influence on consumer shopping trends and numerous product categories.

With the approach of Super Bowl 50, numerous categories have experienced growth in the retail segment. Data from IRI has revealed that shopping sprees and pre-game preparations have lifted the sales of various food, beverage and consumer product categories.

Key highlights include:

• Don’t skip the dip: Dips and spreads experienced the most dramatic sales lift the week prior to the Super Bowl, as shelf-stable dips/dip mixes grew more than 45%, refrigerated dip sales increased 48% and refrigerated spreads were up 13% versus the week prior. In total, $54.8 million was spent on dips and spreads during the week leading up to the Super Bowl last year.
• Give me a cold one: Beer is the number one product category by sales dollars, generating $583 million in sales the week prior to the NFL’s flagship event. It far outpaced liquor, which drove sales of $109 million.
• Salty snacks reign supreme: With more than 196 million units sold, salty snacks constitute the leading category by units, generating $438 million in sales.
• Cheese wins big: With $277 million in sales, natural cheese accounts for the majority of cheese sales during the week leading up to the Super Bowl. Still, cream cheese and processed cheese reap the biggest sales boost from the big game. Last year, these categories saw sales spikes of 30% and 19%, respectively, as a result of pre-game preparations. In comparison, natural cheese sales grew 10%.
• Big game by the fire: Firewood or firestarter sales increased 27% as Americans prepared to watch the Super Bowl; candles also performed well, with sales growth of more than 10%.

“IRI is constantly examining data in relation to special events, such as the Super Bowl, to better understand and highlight their influence on consumer shopping patterns,” said Susan Viamari, vice president of Thought Leadership, IRI. “Unique insight into purchase behavior empowers IRI’s clients to take action to reach the right customers at the right time in order to grow their businesses.”

The study examined retail sales data for the week ending Feb. 1, 2015, for categories with a minimum of $10 million in dollar sales and greater than 10% change in dollar sales versus the prior week. The sales figures include the total U.S. multi-outlet with convenience store channel, which covers supermarkets, drug stores, mass market retailers, gas/convenience stores, military commissaries and selected club and dollar retail chains; liquor stores are not included.