Club shop in the centre of Brighton

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

That old Queens Road shop was not a perennial hive of activity.

Queens Road shop sold a very decent range of club merchandise AND allowed you to buy match tickets and have them printed on the spot. IMHO we should be offering at least the same level of service in the middle of town in the Amex era. Or did the club just get lazy?

 

[Soul Finger]

My sentiments exactly! Especially as you say, there are many vacant units, I'm sure the club could get a good deal.

My point exactly.

New Albion shop, increased footfall, other shops potentially rented.

 

[Soul Finger]

Please never apply for a job in the commercial side of the business.

You can be rest assured that I'll never do that, despite my business degree and encyclopaedic knowledge of the club.

 

[dazzer6666]

Without the wages for extra staff, electricity etc.

Given the efforts Barber has made to try to make costs manageable where he can, opening up a loss-making shop must be a long way down the list of things to do next (hey Tony, I've got an idea that will increase your monthly losses by a few grand).............................if the great big chicken comes home to roost next season then maybe there will be a rethink and we'll have something like the WHU shop at Lakeside in there but can't see it being a priority.

 

[Easy 10]

Given the efforts Barber has made to try to make costs manageable where he can, opening up a loss-making shop must be a long way down the list of things to do next (hey Tony, I've got an idea that will increase your monthly losses by a few grand).............................if the great big chicken comes home to roost next season then maybe there will be a rethink and we'll have something like the WHU shop at Lakeside in there but can't see it being a priority.

No way would I trawl all the way up to Lakeside for a BHA keyring, mug and calendar. Sorry, I just wouldn't.

 

[dazzer6666]

No way would I trawl all the way up to Lakeside for a BHA keyring, mug and calendar. Sorry, I just wouldn't.

 

[The Large One]

While I think it's vital the club has a permanent city centre presence, it's not feasible commercially to be there yet.

Suggesting the club loses money on such a scheme makes no sense, and the argument hasn't been made that the intangible benefits associated with such a venture would accrue.

When we get to the Premier League, there is a much better and safer argument for having a shop in the city centre because (1) the name of Brighton & Hove Albion will attract a much bigger footfall amongst non-converted just because we're in the PL and (2) the money lost - and bearing mind rent, rates, and other overheads it is difficult to turn a worthwhile profit - could be considered a loss-leader. Until we get there, losing more money is a poor business consideration.

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

Please never apply for a job in the commercial side of the business.

BREAKING NEWS . . . Brighton & Hove Albion FC CEO Paul Barber sujffers heart -attack.

 

[ditchy]

There's currently a half-arsed attempt at a pop-up stall in Churchill Square. Pretty ridiculous IMHO that there's not a permanent shop in that high-turnover selling space, especially with so many vacant units. Even in the Withdean era we had a sort-of proper city centre shop. Selling stuff physically only at the Amex means you're only selling to the the converted, with increasingly limited returns obviously. Go to Munich or Prague, say, and you'll find proper club shops slap bang in the middle of town doing a roaring trade. Why not here?

Aston Villa had a shop bang in the middle of the Christmas market area of New st ...Noticed this last sat

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

No way would I trawl all the way up to Lakeside for a BHA keyring, mug and calendar. Sorry, I just wouldn't.

No, but there's huge numbers of passing local shoppers who would do exactly that for their dad's birthday or whatever while trawling through Churchill Square of a weekend. Maybe time to start thinking about raising the Premier League Ready stakes commercially. Who knows, maybe one day you'll actually be able to buy an Albion shirt tax-free airside at Gatwick, instead of an Arsenal shirt.

 

[MattBackHome]

Queens Road shop sold a very decent range of club merchandise AND allowed you to buy match tickets and have them printed on the spot. IMHO we should be offering at least the same level of service in the middle of town in the Amex era. Or did the club just get lazy?

To be fair to them I think that failing to exploit a commercial opportunity is not a charge that could reasonably by levelled at the club in recent years - they're shilling at every chance they can get, and with good reason.

A year-round Churchill Square store is serious wedge. Even if PB was to bring along the Sodexo bloke who wouldn't go above £300 for sweets on The Apprentice, there's a limit to his bargaining powers. They were losing out big time on the old shop, and I'm guessing have done the homework on the possibility of reopening on a permanent basis. I genuinely don't think can be laziness - just that it's not commercially viable.

There is however definitely something to be said for being able to buy and print tickets on the spot. All they need is an iPad and a printer and they can sign people up and print them out on the spot.

 

[Fignon's Ponytail]

If a massive global company like Disney move out of Churchill Square because of ridiculously huge rent costs, Im pretty sure the Albion wont be going anywhere near the place. And I can guarantee the management of the centre wont be interested in any sort of deal - regardless of whether its our local football team or not. Disney tried negotiating something so they could stay & make it in to a flagship store, yet the centre had already decided a new business could move in before The Mouse even moved out.

 

[pearl]

It's about time we had a permanent shop in the centre of the city that bears our club's name.

It doesn't matter if it loses a few quid, it's about presence and familiarity.

And presents at this time of year...

online shopping?

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

online shopping?

Doesn't quite cut it. Same as the Amex shop doesn't quite cut it. You also need to be in the face of the in-town shopper with money to spend on items right in front of their face. Or be prepared to lose out on the potential sale. Obviously.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Doesn't quite cut it. Same as the Amex shop doesn't quite cut it. You also need to be in the face of the in-town shopper with money to spend on items right in front of their face. Or be prepared to lose out on the potential sale. Obviously.

I'm sure Paul Barber will be happy to accept your investment. Give him a call now.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

I'm sure Paul Barber will be happy to accept your investment. Give him a call now.

I'd hope he's already on the case

Think about it a bit: if the rents and rates in Churchill Square are too high for everybody, then the rents and rates will have to come down or the place will become an empty shell. Plenty of wriggle-room for PB, either now or in the very near future.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

I'd hope he's already on the case

Think about it a bit: if the rents and rates in Churchill Square are too high for everybody, then the rents and rates will have to come down or the place will become an empty shell. Plenty of wriggle-room for PB, either now or in the very near future.

I don't think you've been around many shopping centres lately. They are becoming empty shells.

The club have done their best with a mobile pop up shop. That will have to do for now.

 

[pearl]

I don't think you've been around many shopping centres lately. They are becoming empty shells.

The club have done their best with a mobile pop up shop. That will have to do for now.

maybe next season?

 

[The Large One]

I'd hope he's already on the case

Think about it a bit: if the rents and rates in Churchill Square are too high for everybody, then the rents and rates will have to come down or the place will become an empty shell. Plenty of wriggle-room for PB, either now or in the very near future.

The club could be offered a massive discount incentive for Churchill Square; it still wouldn't make it commercially viable.

 

[The Birdman]

Maybe they could have one in the new Burgess Hill shopping development.