The UK Christmas retail market contributed around £70bn of sales last year. The month countdown is on and so begins the most important period of trading for retail businesses across the country. It also gives football clubs the opportunity to fight head on against these retailers for their fans hard-earned money. Celtic have gone down the John Lewis route in producing their own advert, aside from featuring Scott Brown as a young Celtic fans imaginary friend (or ghost of Christmas present depending on your opinion of Brown and Celtics season so far!), it very cleverly showcases a vast range of Celtic merchandise. We take a look at a selection of clubs and investigate what they’re doing to capitalise on the Christmas retail rush. The three main things we’re looking out for here are:
- Christmas jumpers – sales of these previously embarrasing-to-wear jumpers started to rise in the early 2000s, and they’re now as much of a Christmas tradition as leaving carrots out for Rudolph. They’re also a piece of merchandise that can be easily customised with any clubs colours or crest. Instant profit is really a no brainer.
- a retro or vintage collection of merchandise – it was recommended in the October issue of FC Business magazine that introducing a vintage range near to Christmas would really drive sales and give fans the ideal thing to put on their Christmas list.
- all products can be easily purchased and delivered – improving fans experiences shouldn’t just be happening in the stadium on a matchday. If the online and ordering experience isn’t of the standard fans (/consumers) expect these days, they won’t buy.
