[Albion] BHAFC: Premier League club with League One retail department

[Mellor 3 Ward 4]

It's hard to make an argument for our retail operation being anything other than absolutely shite. Do we have a separate warehouse or something, because I've been similarly confused by the 'we don't stock it here, but it is available online'. Also agree that having some sort of live stock monitoring online is surely a must these days?

100% agree.

Then you go online and the only sizes available are XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXL and possibly XXXXXXXXXXXXXS

Our retail side is pathetic.

 

[Superphil]

I advocated creating own merch with iron-on badges on NSC more than 10 years ago.

The club removed them from shelves just days later (a coincidence, I'm sure) - and AFAIK they've never been back?

If I can find mine (I bought 3 or 4), some DIY is definitely on the cards!

I recall that exact post, and the subsequent withdrawal of the item form the online store. I reckon if you searched a few Asian market sites you might find something similar.

 

[Eeyore]

It amazes me that the magic algorithm can pick up a kid from a far flung corner of South America who we can develop and sell for getting on for a 100 million quid in profit but we can't get close to predicting how many people are going to buy replica shirts or trackie bottoms from the shop.

That's because they are too busy hacking their way through the amazonian jungle to find the fleet footed 18 year old fisherman that the all seeing algorithms have spotted on the satellite.

 

[Mellor 3 Ward 4]

We are embarrassingly bad at this sort of thing.

I wonder if container ships having to go around South Africa rather than through the Suez will be part of the reason / excuse

It's impacting my business - but only by approx. 10/14 days max.

 

[Insel affe]

I must jump in here, and say never had an issue, I think the shop is pretty cool as well, regards having to pay for postage and extortionate prices, have you seen how much a stamp is for a letter, plus handling and staff etc, not really that bad, people just love a moan up.

 

[Weststander]

Yeah I know but knowing the club, they do normally care about the small things.

My suspicion is it is about the money. PBOBE is great at personally dealing with wrongs, but this isn't personal, any business can be lumbered with a 7-figure value of redundant stock giving a direct £m's loss. From memory I think @El Presidente confirmed the gross margin a club makes on a main brand merchandise is at the very best 15%, that's before overheads and staffing.

The retail side has been **** for years. It seems to get a key new shirt you have to act incredibly swiftly and make damn sure it's the right size at the first time of asking. Then we get this bizarre situation of months before the next delivery, Nike or no Nike.

 

[Garry Nelson's Left Foot]

It is pretty shit isn't it?

I know several Japanese who want to buy Brighton(Mitoma) shirts but can't because of the lack of stock.

Which is another issue, why the hell aren't we ragging the f*** out of Mitoma's popularity over here?!

 

[rippleman]

That might be part of the problem, we're a very well run. The club wants to make sure it doesn't end up with a load of out of date stock at the end of the season have to sell it off cheap like so many other clubs do. You could say we are incredibly well run in the merchandise area, we never have any left over stock at the end of the season. .

If the club didn't change the design of all the kit each year, there wouldn't be a risk of having tons of "out of date" stock. Just change every 3/4 seasons and when you hit the end of the cycle, you have a sale.

 

[BNthree]

Think the rise in demand for items from the retail operation has caught the club unawares. Each season they’re woefully unprepared for demand and PB hates overstocking and wastage (a reason why we never have old kit on clearance) so it means we’ll always be playing catch up.

 

[Nobby Cybergoat]

Think the rise in demand for items from the retail operation has caught the club unawares. Each season they’re woefully unprepared for demand and PB hates overstocking and wastage (a reason why we never have old kit on clearance) so it means we’ll always be playing catch up.

Well yes, not much danger of that

 

[Commander]

DHGate is the answer.

 

[Wozza]

I must jump in here, and say never had an issue, I think the shop is pretty cool as well, regards having to pay for postage and extortionate prices, have you seen how much a stamp is for a letter, plus handling and staff etc, not really that bad, people just love a moan up.

I've literally ordered two items in a month from the online shop and then subsequently been told they're not available.

You don't think that's a legitimate complaint?

Any half-decent retail operation should have live stock levels on their website. "Fewer than 5 remaining" etc.

That would stop customers being disappointed - and almost certainly increase sales, as folk rush to buy last stock.

As it is, they're taking our custom for granted. I will continue to moan to them directly - and publicly - everytime they let me down.

 

[rippleman]

My suspicion is it is about the money. PBOBE is great at personally dealing with wrongs, but this isn't personal, any business can be lumbered with a 7-figure value of redundant stock giving a direct £m's loss. From memory I think @El Presidente confirmed the gross margin a club makes on a main brand merchandise is at the very best 15%, that's before overheads and staffing.

The retail side has been **** for years. It seems to get a key new shirt you have to act incredibly swiftly and make damn sure it's the right size at the first time of asking. Then we get this bizarre situation of months before the next delivery, Nike or no Nike.

Full Breakdown: The Price of a Football Shirt

The financial dynamics behind football clubs' kit sales have been a subject of interest among fans and experts.

www.footyheadlines.com

This would suggest that where the club retails directly to fans (as opposed to selling through a sports shop chain) the margin for the club is just under 40%.

 

[Surf's Up]

Not only is the club's retail service piss poor the design and general quality of the club's retail goods is also piss poor. I've been rabbiting on about this for years but i goes there's a degree of inevitability about the design issues when the CEO is your archetypal Pringle and Slacks kinda guy!! Notwithstanding the "Japanese factor"I can't help but think that the club is missing out on the possibility of a significant additional retail income boost if they could only improve in these areas.

 

[rippleman]

Think the rise in demand for items from the retail operation has caught the club unawares. Each season they’re woefully unprepared for demand and PB hates overstocking and wastage (a reason why we never have old kit on clearance) so it means we’ll always be playing catch up.

But you need to balance having "wastage" against being unable to fullfil demand.

The "out of date" shirts will always sell and if you discount by 20% the club will stay make a profit albeit at a far lower margin. If you can't meet demand, you take no money and make no profit at all.

It's "O" level economics; supply and demand.

 

[el punal]

We are embarrassingly bad at this sort of thing.

I wonder if container ships having to go around South Africa rather than through the Suez will be part of the reason / excuse

If there are a load of Houthis going around in Albion gear that’ll be the reason why.

P.S. Sorry if my comment offends anyone and all that.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

It annoyed me that we can't click and collect. My grandson wanted the away kit, so knowing it was coming back in February, I went to the Churchill Sq shop last Friday, to find it was only training kit there.
I had promised him and he was paying for it himself (he's at uni) and I said I would pay for the name and number.
So I popped up to the station and on the train to Falmer. Mission accomplished but it would've been so much easier to order it online, and then pick it up later.

 

[Bozza]

I advocated creating own merch with iron-on badges on NSC more than 10 years ago.

The club removed them from shelves just days later (a coincidence, I'm sure) - and AFAIK they've never been back?

If I can find mine (I bought 3 or 4), some DIY is definitely on the cards!

I recall that because I bought a few - maybe 5 or 6. I have no idea where they are now though. I certainly never used them.

 

[Insel affe]

I've literally ordered two items in a month from the online shop and then subsequently been told they're not available.

You don't think that's a legitimate complaint?

Any half-decent retail operation should have live stock levels on their website. "Fewer than 5 remaining" etc.

That would stop customers being disappointed - and almost certainly increase sales, as folk rush to buy last stock.

As it is, they're taking our custom for granted. I will continue to moan to them directly - and publicly - everytime they let me down.

fair do's, different strokes n'all that jazz, me I don't care if it is out of stock so be it, I will keep my money or buy something else.
Working in retail, I see the ugly side when folks complain, it is not life or death and if you want to get worked up about it crack on, write a bad revue if you want if it makes you feel better.

 

[Bozza]

Not only is the club's retail service piss poor the design and general quality of the club's retail goods is also piss poor. I've been rabbiting on about this for years but i goes there's a degree of inevitability about the design issues when the CEO is your archetypal Pringle and Slacks kinda guy!! Notwithstanding the "Japanese factor"I can't help but think that the club is missing out on the possibility of a significant additional retail income boost if they could only improve in these areas.

There's a limit as to what is possible due to club trademarks and player image rights etc, but I'm happy (for NSC) to front up the money required to get stuff made.

There are enough skilled creative types around to produce good designs. I started a conversation with on on twitter/X recently, as it happens, with a view to creating some Albion-themed merch.

I've not given enough thought as to how to best go about it in terms of deciding on the themes for designs, getting feedback on the best design(s) and then the subsequent manufacture or use of a print-on-demand type outfit etc.