RETAILERS the world over will be cashing in as World Cup fever takes over shoppers desperate to sport their country’s colours … or in the case of thousands of Bahrainis, their adopted football favourites.
One sports retailer in the kingdom told GulfWeekly sales were already hotting up for replica shirts, mugs and most things Brazil 2014 as fans get in a frenzy before the June 12 kick-off. “It would be great if Bahrain one day makes the World Cup Finals but this is a football-loving nation and we are not going to miss out on the fun,” said one Bahraini store owner. Management at the kingdom’s malls and stall holders in the souq are confident it will be a profitable June, particularly if the big name teams get through to the knock-out stages of the competition. The World Cup and similar events which have broad appeal and occur relatively rarely can end up influencing many areas of retail, not just those immediately related to them. For example, back in 2012 there was a 20 per cent rise in queries relating to HDTVs around the time of the European Cup, so the knock-on effect can be significant for retailers. The World Cup in Brazil should add over £2bn ($3.3bn, $2.4bn) to global sports revenue this year, according to a recent report. Sales of official World Cup footballs are expected to grow by 30 per cent during the four weeks in which the competition is held.
