FIFA meant moolah

India may not have played in the FIFA World Cup, but it sure made a lot a moolah from sales of team jerseys and soccer balls, and record sales at restaurants and pubs.

India may not have played in the FIFA World Cup, but it sure made a lot a moolah from it. From sales of team jerseys and soccer balls, and record sales at restaurants and pubs — it was a month-long festival for retailers across the Capital. Restaurants across the city said that in terms of beer sales alone, they raked in 25 per cent more profit than usual — with earnings of about Rs 75,000 a day.

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Pub

"Footfall on the day of the finale was 50 per cent more than on a usual day. If there hadn’t been a restriction of closing at 1 am, it would’ve been 100 per cent more," says Sidharth Talwar of Café Morrison. A manager at The International Diner, GK I, says footfalls drastically increased when teams reached the quarterfinals.

“Compared to sales during the 2006 World Cup, sales of football merchandise increased by four times this time around. Jersey sales jumped up by a whopping 600 per cent,” says Andreas Gellner of Adidas India.

“While jerseys of Argentina, Brazil and Germany were a big hit initially, those of Spain sold like hot cakes afterwards,” says Vijay Madanu of Amigo Sports, reporting a 50 per cent increase in sales as compared to off-season.

With the Commonwealth Games around the corner, everyone hopes to relive the good times.

Jerseys
50% increase compared to sales in non sporting season
600% increase compared to the World Cup in 2006.

Beer sales
250 bottles per restaurant: Average sale of beer during one match
Rs 150: Average cost of one beer bottle
Rs 37,500: Average earning per restaurant per night