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"Unused revenue potential in catering" - Stadionwelt publishes exclusive league comparison by SLC on stadium/arena catering
Whether it's football, handball, basketball or ice hockey - the live experience in the stadium or arena is not just about the sporting action, but also about a variety of factors surrounding it. In addition to the atmosphere, safety and infrastructure, catering plays an important role in the fans' perception.
Due to the enormous importance of catering, SLC Management conducted a survey among fans and customers of clubs from the Basketball Bundesliga (BBL), Football Bundesliga (DFL), German Ice Hockey League (DEL) and Handball Bundesliga (HBL) regarding their satisfaction with their club´s catering services, which has now been published in the trade magazine Stadionwelt. Over 10,000 people took part in the online survey, providing a representative picture for the decision-makers and managers of the clubs, which can be used to derive process and offer optimisations as well as potential. // An extract of the results
When asked about their general satisfaction with the catering in the stadium or arena of their favourite club, handball fans were the most positive. With an average score of 2.33 for all clubs - with a rating basis of 1 for very good to 5 for very bad - the HBL scored best, followed by the DFL with a score of 2.39. A closer look at the details reveals that the price-performance ratio in particular is rated worst by fans of all leagues. With the exception of the HBL, the score for the remaining three leagues is more in the negative range.
The fact that fans are certainly willing to spend more money in stadiums and arenas is shown by a look at the potential additional expenditure per fan per match with an optimal catering offer. In all leagues, fans would generally be prepared to spend more: In the DEL more than two thirds (69.4%), in the BBL and HBL just over 70% each and in the DFL even more than three quarters (76.4%). The Bundesliga offers the most untapped potential. Fans would spend up to 7.85 euros more on home match days. Meanwhile, the least potential - but still quite considerable at 6.82 euros - lies in the DEL. [Click to enlarge graphic]
"An optimal offer combined with optimal service would lead to more than two thirds of visitors in all indoor leagues spending more on food and drink. This would enable a Bundesliga football club to generate an average of more than 300,000 euros in additional catering revenue per matchday. That corresponds to additional revenue of around 5 million euros per season. There are certainly other factors to be taken into account in such a calculation, but this figure provides some idea of the relevance of customer focus and service quality",
calculates Jens Jaschinski, Director Consultancy at SLC Management.
The question arises as to what factors are preventing fans from spending more money at the catering stands in the stadium and arena. In all leagues, three main obstacles emerged: the waiting times at the catering stands and the prices of food and drinks. More than half of the fans surveyed (in all four leagues) see the long waiting times as an obstacle to spending more.
"A fan stands in the queue at a food stand during the half-time break, but decides not to buy anything because the waiting time is too long and he wants to be in his seat in time for the second half. With more stands and - as this is not always possible - above all also through optimised processes, the spending speed could be increased and waiting times reduced, which would lead to higher revenue",
says Dominik Hils, Senior Club Consultant at SLC Management.
Although the results provide initial indications, an individual analysis is necessary for each club in order to optimally utilise the revenue potential in catering.
For this, please >> HERE << arrange a free initial consultation with one of our experts, as we have your data ready for you.
You can find the full study results in the Stadionwelt article "Catering: Satisfied fans mean full tills" in Stadionwelt INSIDE | issue no. 2/2025, p. 78: Stadionwelt INSIDE | issue no. 2/2025
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For more information, please contact us at any time
Jens Jaschinski
Director Consultancy
E-mail: jaschinski@slc-ag.com
Phone: +49 (0) 911 - 54 81 830
