World Cup: Qatar 2022 sets off consumption boom in China

NANJING - Despite a five-hour time difference and their national team’s absence, Chinese fans are following the World Cup in Qatar keenly, with the global football extravaganza fuelling a consumption drive in the world’s second-largest economy.

Wang Xiaolin, one of the avid fans in the province of Jiangsu, has set up a home theatre that includes a projector he purchased specially for the tournament.

He has ordered fresh meat, vegetables and beer online and invited several friends to watch matches while eating hotpot at midnight.

“It’s a quadrennial carnival, and there’s plenty of star power. The passion of football fans from China can never be underestimated,” Wang said.

He added that he also bought an official match ball and a mascot for the World Cup.

China is estimated to have about 200 million football enthusiasts and, with the country’s disposable income level on the rise, more fans were willing to pay to enjoy matches, according to data firm Statista.

From catering to fast-moving consumer goods, several industries in China have seen legions of fans become big-spending consumers.

The situation could soon be even better, as the country has recently optimised its Covid-19 response, making it easier for people to travel and enter public venues.

Late night parties

At a Haidilao hotpot restaurant in Jiangsu’s capital Nanjing, customers were eating with relish while watching and conversing about a match at 3am.

The chain restaurant has rolled out a football-watching menu that includes hotpot, beer and barbecue.

“The atmosphere is wonderful, and we can share our excitement. It’s also a great way of socialising,” a customer said.

Consumption of party supplies, including food and beer, has seen a significant increase in China during the four-week tournament.

Data from China’s online food delivery giant Meituan showed that beer and beverage orders increased by 43 per cent and 25 per cent month-on-month, respectively, on the opening day of Qatar 2022.

According to fresh food retailer Hema, hotpot-related orders grew by over 40 per cent in the first two weeks of the tournament.

Since the beginning of November, the sales of beer increased 168 per cent year-on-year.

Chinese e-commerce giant JD.com has zeroed in on its instant delivery service to seize the opportunities, as it has teamed up with supermarket chains and extended business hours to cater to the fans who stay up late watching games.

The tournament also triggered a rush for football-themed hotel rooms, with many fans eager to secure a space where they can express their enthusiasm without disturbing others late at night.

Hotel reservations in China surged 30 times month-on-month on the first day of the event, according to online travel agency Tongcheng Travel.

Many hotels launched “World Cup streaming rooms” with massive screens to attract consumers.

In the tournament’s first week, hotel rooms with huge screens suitable for watching videos saw their bookings surge more than 250 per cent year-on-year, said online travel agency Fliggy.

Football bonanza

Winter is usually the off-season for sales of football-related products, but thanks to the World Cup, jersey sales tripled year-on-year over the first week of the tournament on JD Mall, while sales of football-related products more than doubled over the previous month, data from JD.com showed.

Sales of fall-proof products have surprisingly spiked due to the many shocking results, as a few short videos on social media captured frustrated fans smashing TVs and throwing cellphones after their favourite teams lost unexpectedly.

Meituan said sales of these products grew by 252 per cent year-on-year, with sales of TV remote controls soaring almost eightfold.

A race to entice Chinese football aficionados has also jump-started among the country’s shopping centres.

At 1912 Block, a shopping landmark in Nanjing, citizens can enjoy urban camping with beer and coffee while watching the action.

Wanda Group, a Chinese sponsor of this edition, has partnered the Fifa Museum to hold World Cup carnivals in cities like Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Nanjing, staging exhibitions, interactive installations and football-themed activities.

Zhou Weihong, deputy general manager of Chunqiu Tourism, said that at its camping base in Nanjing, football-related accessories had been made available for tent decoration.

In its base in Chengdu, Sichuan province, an immersive game ambience has been created where customers can participate in interactive activities, including game quizzes.

“During the game season, we have introduced a series of World Cup-themed camping packages, providing campers with additional facilities such as projection screens to watch the competitions,” he added.

Many companies have capitalised on the consumption boom to achieve their business goals.

“We have seized on the ‘World Cup economy’ this year. From January to November, our export volume increased by nearly 80 per cent year-on-year,” said Zuo Lingling, a sales manager of Jiangsu Hongbao Sports Goods, which produces mainly footballs.

“I hope the consumption momentum will continue with tournaments like the Champions League, the Premier League and the Women’s World Cup.”

The consumption boom reflected China’s growing appetite for the sport, especially among the Gen-Z crowd.

With the country’s ambition to become a world football powerhouse by 2050, the game is expected to benefit related industries, said Chen Jia, an independent strategy analyst. XINHUA