[Albion] Seagulls Direct and merchandising

[Tim Over Whelmed]

You're not thinking of following B&Q's example and employing a Grandfather to weigh in, are you?

Not at all Sir .... that'd be unfair on Grandma!

 

[mothy]

I bought a goalkeeper top with 20% off for my eldest. V happy with that

 

[Canfan]

Me too. I remember the replica shirts that Errea used to sell, right up to a 5XL.

If you are anything like average build, wearing the largest size you would resemble a tent.

But the 5XL wasn't really a 5XL size was it? I'm normally a 2XL but the Errea 5XL was....er, snug to say the least.

 

[VAL1850]

The beautiful shop lures you in - Inside presentation is fantastic but always come out disappointed - lots of the same thing on the rails and the rest lots of nothing

 

[Giraffe]

What's your take on the club's retailing and merchandising?

Christmas is the main time I take a look at what's on offer and last year was the first time that I can recall where I just really couldn't find anything I wanted to buy anyone. I think others on here found the same.

Looking to take advantage of 'Blue Friday' I took to Seagulls Direct on Friday evening to see if I could find anything for the kids and, additionally, me for someone else to buy.

On the second score, I was disappointed. There are two Nike warm-up top type things that I liked and I'd have had either. No joy however, as most sizes were out of stock.

I found a few stocking filler things for the kids, which is an improvement on last year. Additionally, though, we ordered a onesie for my daughter in a size showing as in stock. I noted from an email yesterday that onesies were an even better offer for a couple of hours on 'Cyber Monday'. One of those things, I guess. At least we got our order in for what we wanted. Or so you'd think...

Today we got contacted by the club to say the onesie was out of stock in the size we had ordered and would we like a different size. Why would we? We ordered the size we wanted. I do wonder if the Cyber Monday onesie bargain hunters have snaffled them, and our order from Friday is being processed out of sequence. Annoying, regardless.

Literally all of this. Nearly made a very similar post last week having done exactly the same as you.

The quality of the stock is the worst it's been since we moved to the AMEX and additionally a lot of the clothing items are showing as out of stock in certain sizes.

The onesies thing was also annoying. Bought on Friday at a reduction of 20% only to find its 30% off on Monday.

Used to spend about £100 each Christmas on a mixture of children and me stuff. This year I spent £30. Replicated across all supporters that's a lot of wasted loot.

 

[Dirk Lehmann's Python]

Agree with the majority. The Nike stuff overpriced, the rest of stuff mainly shite. Shame

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[Mileoakman]

I went in to the shop on Blue Friday to pick up a shirt for my grandson in size small. The website said out of stock but they had 1 on the rails which I snapped up quickly. However the next problem was that they couldn't personalise it because they had run out of 'E's' so that means another trip when they restock.
I'm just suprised that they haven't stocked up for Xmas.
It also means we can't sign Messi till they get the letters sorted out.

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[Tiptop24]

Did send PB an email on this very subject. I was trying to sign up my son to the young seagulls program and was also snooping around the online store.

My options are
1. Buy a full kit (already done).
2. Buy an all white onesie.

They are missing out on getting new fans from the off. I have Burnley and Cardiff supporting friends and they have a wide range of items. I mean, even a blue and white onsie would suffice.

And don't get me started on the "leisure wear" line - quality and choice is horrific.

 

[BUTTERBALL]

I much preferred the Errea stuff.

 

[Superseagull]

I much preferred the Errea stuff.

Agreed. Was in the shop yesterday and whilst looking great visually had very little I'd want to spend any money on.

Got to say the home shirt looks really poor close up. That big AMEX logo stuck on label is poor. The black and red kits are much better looking.

The Nike stuff I got last xmas has lost its shape and falling to its already. The old Errea stuff I've got is still going strong.

 

[deslynhamsmoustache1]

Was going to buy a kit for each of my young nephews for christmas, but out of stock. How the hell can you be out of stock of kids shirts at Christmas.

This,This and This. Ordered my son some Nike leggings, only to find they were delivered to the club without sewn crest / club badge. Six weeks later they turned up, now the club did phone and make us aware of the problem a couple of day after ordering and offered us the choice of a refund or wait for them to be embroidered and sent out - we chose this option - but i had no idea of the delay this would cause. Firstly, if your not stocked up for winter wear by late September you really have missed your market and valuable sales. Secondly, surely the club would have enough buying power to insist that any back orders created by supplier errors should be compensated in some way by that supplier, i e , if the goods turned up un-embroidered as in our case then they should be embroidered and couriered back out at the suppliers expense within 48 hours. Alternatively a small gift from the Albion paid for by the supplier wouldn't have gone a miss. Bad experience and one that makes me wary of ordering in the future.

 

[Official Old Man]

In this lazy world of home shopping and out of town centres, please please can the club allow customers to park outside the shop. Went last week with the missus. Had to park in Bennetts, long walk to the shop and not something I'll be doing again soon. Had they allowed parking in front I'm sure many more would go. Two tops for £103, crazy stupid. Best thing was the coffee in Dicks, only £2.75 and very nice.

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

In this lazy world of home shopping and out of town centres, please please can the club allow customers to park outside the shop. Went last week with the missus. Had to park in Bennetts, long walk to the shop and not something I'll be doing again soon. Had they allowed parking in front I'm sure many more would go. Two tops for £103, crazy stupid. Best thing was the coffee in Dicks, only £2.75 and very nice.

Dick's on a non-matchday, is definately not the place to be. Each time I have been in there it smacked of a works canteen.

Glad you enjoyed the coffee though.

 

[thedonkeycentrehalf]

But the 5XL wasn't really a 5XL size was it? I'm normally a 2XL but the Errea 5XL was....er, snug to say the least.

That will have been those dodgy Italian sizes.

I agree with Bozza that the quality of the merchandise has been poor for some time. How difficult can it be to make a smart polo shirt / jumper with a subtle seagull logo rather than a huge badge? Hollister manage it very easily (I'm far too old/fat to wear Hollister!). Even the hoodies etc are nowhere near as good as they were a few years ago.

I was showing someone the very bad polo shirt that they are selling in the shop at the moment - the one with the green seagulls printed all over it. They couldn't believe how crap it looked.

I may not be their target market but there is very little for sale in the shop that I would wear outside of matchdays.

 

[Nixonator]

I think it's been poor ever since Nike took over. I've also been trying to buy a round club crest car sticker for my new car since I bought it in May. I've asked in the shop about 8 times and they haven't had one

Would also have loved to get some baby gear for my daughter but a plain white onesie with a small crest on it just isn't the ticket. If they had full-on blue and white striped ones, or ones covered in little seagulls or anything like that, I'd have been sold.

But let's be really restrictive on ticket swapping and put up huge banners outside the ground, as that'll help us make money, eh?

Nike is a very small section of the stock, and most of that stuff is pretty nice, like the fall jacket and training wear.

I also think the home shirt is alot better than I first thought. Just a matter of opinion I guess.

 

[Superphil]

Does anyone think Nike is proving successful for the Albion? I know the club has claimed record sales, but on a matchday I still seem to see more Errea shirts and gear than Nike. I've not bought any Nike shirts from the shop, for me, the missus, or any of my nieces/nephews/god-children as I used to, the current kits are just so piss poor looking, and quality wise. I've not bought any Nike leisure/training gear till this weekend when I bought a blue cotton polo for my brothers xmas present, using the vouchers we were given after the cock up at the beginning of the season with season tickets etc.

The other Seagulls gear, apart from the Score Draw retro shirts, are pretty poor IMO, and what I have bought in recent years really didn't stand the test of time, whereas some tees and jackets I bought 5 or 10 years ago are still going strong. I wonder if Nike have a policy stopping 'their' clubs stocking decent non Nike gear to try and ramp up their own sales?

I know, conspiracies and nonsense maybe, but you take a straw poll next home game, there will be more Erreas than Nikes, I'm pretty sure.

 

[portlock seagull]

The club merchandise was ironically a lot better in the Withdean days. Everything now looks really chavy and Essex-man and they seem to think by slapping Nike on it'll sell without the need to think about anything else. And charge a fortune. When really it just looks s hit and nasty. Like the bargain bin at some golf sale. Terrible terrible merchandise. Really has gone down hill and I really want to buy stuff but I can't bring myself to. It's just crap. Even Gerald Ratler would do a better job!

 

[whitelion]

The club merchandise was ironically a lot better in the Withdean days. Everything now looks really chavy and Essex-man and they seem to think by slapping Nike on it'll sell without the need to think about anything else. And charge a fortune. When really it just looks s hit and nasty. Like the bargain bin at some golf sale. Terrible terrible merchandise. Really has gone down hill and I really want to buy stuff but I can't bring myself to. It's just crap. Even Gerald Ratler would do a better job!

He was a snake though.

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

He was a snake though.

Hee hee, I see what you did there!

 

[Milano]

How the hell do you have no stock of all Junior shorts in flipping late November (for the 2nd year in a row), ridiculous.