Closing Down Queens Road Store

[HawkTheSeagull]

At SOME point the club is going to have to start thinking a wee bit bigger than they are at the moment. Something like 75% of Brighton residents must pass through Churchill Square of a weekend as opposed to, what, 5% maybe, who pass down Queens Road. Seems to me a no-brainer. Might be wrong, tho on a short-term lease what's the worst that could happen?

Well if the mobile van goes well (if they use it well enough), then it may warrant a Churchill Sq/Queens Road store. With the Amex having its own store, it was always going to take away customers as you can combine buying Albion stuff with going to the game, unlike at the Withdean. Not to mention there is the Amex tour and the newly opened museum to attract people there, if tourists are really interested in the Albion, they can take a 10 minute train journey which doesnt exactly cost much.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Well if the mobile van goes well (if they use it well enough), then it may warrant a Churchill Sq/Queens Road store. With the Amex having its own store, it was always going to take away customers as you can combine buying Albion stuff with going to the game, unlike at the Withdean. Not to mention there is the Amex tour and the newly opened museum to attract people there, if tourists are really interested in the Albion, they can take a 10 minute train journey which doesnt exactly cost much.

Sorry, don't agree. There's a HUGE number of Saturday shoppers who are not about to do any research into trolling all the way out to Falmer at all. Doubt many of them know where Falmer is. But present them with a big (or little) shiny Albion store in Churchill Square and they'll go in there and buy something for Father's Day or their brother's/daughter's birthday or whatever. Not rocket science. Not even basic marketing.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

As of Monday the club's sole shop presence will be at Falmer. Great if you go to the home games. But there's huge numbers of B&H residents who don't but would still like to buy an Albion shirt/birthday card/mobile phone cover for a friend or family member. Seems a tad short-sighted to me for the club not to take a punt on a town centre site.
On the other hand... meh!

The club has got to make 6 million pounds savings just to keep under the FFP limit and shop rentals in central Brighton are prohibitive, let alone staffing costs.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

The club has got to make 6 million pounds savings just to keep under the FFP limit and shop rentals in central Brighton are prohibitive, let alone staffing costs.

Sometimes you have to speculate to accumulate. Just seems to me painfully short-sighted that you can buy a Chelsea/Spurs/Liverpool etc. shirt in any sports shop in town but not an Albion shirt.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

I feel sorry for anyone losing their employment, but the part-timers who staffed that place on a Saturday were the least interested bunch you'll find anywhere.

Pretty damning really too, that DURING a match, they'd would always have Radio 1 on somesuch bollocks on, rather than the Albion commentary.

 

[The Large One]

Sorry, don't agree. There's a HUGE number of Saturday shoppers who are not about to do any research into trolling all the way out to Falmer at all. Doubt many of them know where Falmer is. But present them with a big (or little) shiny Albion store in Churchill Square and they'll go in there and buy something for Father's Day or their brother's/daughter's birthday or whatever. Not rocket science. Not even basic marketing.

While it's vital, I'd say, that there has to be a city centre presence, you are not going to attract new trade just because the shop is in Churchill Square. It's a happy piece of tertiary marketing, but to think of it as being the first port of call in converting non-fans to fans is folly.

There has to be a suitable cost-to-benefit consideration. CS' rents really are silly money.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

While it's vital, I'd say, that there has to be a city centre presence, you are not going to attract new trade just because the shop is in Churchill Square. It's a happy piece of tertiary marketing, but to think of it as being the first port of call in converting non-fans to fans is folly.

There has to be a suitable cost-to-benefit consideration. CS' rents really are silly money.

OK, but the club will never know until they try. How about they start off small? Genuine (relatively) tinpot enterprises like paint-ball companies and calendar vendors are able to have a wee non-shop presence in Churchill Square. What's to stop the Albion ever-so-cautiously dipping their toe in the water? Commercial equivalent of Poyet trying to get Ankergren/El-Abd/T.elphick playing the ball on the ground. Embarrassingly small steps, to be sure, but hey you have to start somewhere

 

[HawkTheSeagull]

Sometimes you have to speculate to accumulate. Just seems to me painfully short-sighted that you can buy a Chelsea/Spurs/Liverpool etc. shirt in any sports shop in town but not an Albion shirt.

That'll be something to do with the exclusivity we have with Errea, should we get Nike or Adidas - Id very much expect that to change, especially if one of said makes would be opening a store in Brighton too. The club are losing money and have been throwing money at Queens Road long enough, if it clearly isnt making money - then whats the point in it being open ? It is no different to any other business which has had to close in recent years because people simply dont shop in town no more.

Would be interesting to know the split between the stores and online sales though - whats Paul Barbers e-mail address ?

 

[Thunder Bolt]

I don't think there are any independant shops in Churchill Square. They all seem to be chain stores, who are the only ones who could afford those rents.

 

[The Large One]

OK, but the club will never know until they try. How about they start off small? Genuine (relatively) tinpot enterprises like paint-ball companies and calendar vendors are able to have a wee non-shop presence in Churchill Square. What's to stop the Albion ever-so-cautiously dipping their toe in the water? Commercial equivalent of Poyet trying to get Ankergren/El-Abd/T.elphick playing the ball on the ground

The club HAS tried it.

 

[Hotchilidog]

As of Monday the club's sole shop presence will be at Falmer. Great if you go to the home games. But there's huge numbers of B&H residents who don't but would still like to buy an Albion shirt/birthday card/mobile phone cover for a friend or family member. Seems a tad short-sighted to me for the club not to take a punt on a town centre site.
On the other hand... meh!

It depends how much that punt costs, and how certain the club are of it paying off. I completely agree that a prominent presence in Churchill Square for example would be a good thing. It should in theory do more to establish the team in the minds of the Brighton public. However the figures have to add up. I would not be surprised to see us actually get another city centre store should we get promoted, in fact I'd expect it.

However financial priorities at this moment in time are dictating that the club's money is spent elsewhere. Personally I think the van does a good job of raising the club's profile and providing the opportunity for spur-of-the-moment ticket sales for a very much reduced outlay.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

The club HAS tried it.

Do you mean the mobile van at the station or something even a tiny bit ambitious?

 

[The Large One]

Do you mean the mobile van at the station or something even a tiny bit ambitious?

No. I'm saying they had a presence in Churchill Square a few years ago.

They're not in Churchill Square now - which should tell you a lot.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

OK, but the club will never know until they try. How about they start off small? Genuine (relatively) tinpot enterprises like paint-ball companies and calendar vendors are able to have a wee non-shop presence in Churchill Square. What's to stop the Albion ever-so-cautiously dipping their toe in the water? Commercial equivalent of Poyet trying to get Ankergren/El-Abd/T.elphick playing the ball on the ground. Embarrassingly small steps, to be sure, but hey you have to start somewhere

Slightly off topic but that's the second time in two days you've had a dig at those players. Of the three keepers, Ankergren is the best with his feet.


What's to stop the mobile shop parking on the front area of Churchill Square one day a week?

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

It depends how much that punt costs, and how certain the club are of it paying off. I completely agree that a prominent presence in Churchill Square for example would be a good thing. It should in theory do more to establish the team in the minds of the Brighton public. However the figures have to add up.

How do you know the figures won't add up if you never even try?

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Slightly off topic but that's the second time in two days you've had a dig at those players.

Only because it was utterly wretched to watch and has probably scarred me for life

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Only because it was utterly wretched to watch and has probably scarred me for life

Nonsense, you enjoyed every moment of it!!

 

[Hotchilidog]

How do you know the figures won't add up if you never even try?

You would do some research before the setting the business up. You would not just set up a city centre retail outlet and hope for the best. The club would have to be confident that a churchill square store would do more than just take money away from the successful store at the Amex. This is not a football club that is averse to making a quick buck, if there was definite money in it then a new store would e there already.

The club is in the middle of reshaping itself within the framework of FFP and trying to get to the premier league, I doubt very much whether the sky high rent in churchill square is a priority right now. Should we reach the Premier league then that would open up the club to a new audience attracted by the glamour of the top flight, that would be the time to invest in a store in my opinion. Right now I'd say, whilst desirable, it's just not necessary.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Nonsense, you enjoyed every moment of it!!

Loved Withdean, DESPISED the Ankergren-El-Abd-T.Elphick eternal triangle. As NSC records will confirm...

 

[Fourteenth Eye]

I suspect that come christmas time, the club will have a pop up shop in one of the empty premises in and around churchill square so that the friend/family member/wife/girlfriend/boyfriend can purchase the Albion merchandise for theire loved ones to open come xmas day