Soccer bonanza

Winter is usually the offseason for sales of soccer-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 soccer-related products more than doubled over the previous month, data from JD shows.

Sales of fall-proof products have surprisingly spiked due to the tournament's many shocking results, as a few short videos on social media captured frustrated fans smashing TVs and throwing cellphones after their favorite teams lost unexpectedly. Meituan said sales of these products grew by 252 percent year-on-year, with sales of TV remotes soaring almost eightfold.

A race to thrill Chinese soccer aficionados has also jump-started among the country's shopping centers. At 1912 Block, a shopping landmark of Nanjing, citizens can enjoy urban camping with beers and coffee while watching the furious rivalries.

Wanda Group, a Chinese sponsor of this year's World Cup, has partnered with FIFA Museum to hold Wanda Plaza FIFA World Cup Carnivals in cities like Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Nanjing, aiming to bring "unique assets and experiences to Chinese fans" with exhibitions, interactive installations and soccer-themed activities.

"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 competition," says Zhou Weihong, deputy general manager of Springtour Travel Agency.

Zhou adds that at its camping base in Nanjing, soccer-related accessories had been made available for tent decoration, while in Chengdu, Sichuan province, an immersive game ambience has been created where customers can participate in interactive activities, including game quizzes.

Many companies have actively embraced the consumption boom sparked by the far-reaching soccer bonanza to achieve their business goals in the humongous sports market.

"We have seized on the 'World Cup economy' this year. From January to November, our export volume increased by nearly 80 percent year-on-year," says Zuo Lingling, a sales manager of Jiangsu Hongbao Sports Goods Co, which mainly produces footballs.

"I hope the consumption momentum will continue with tournaments like the Champions League, the Premier League, and the FIFA Women's World Cup," Zuo says.

The consumption boom reflected China's growing appetite for soccer, especially among Gen-Z, and with the nation's ambition to become a world soccer powerhouse by 2050, the sport will definitely expand its traction to benefit related industries, says Chen Jia, an independent strategy analyst.