[Albion] Will Brighton shirts ever be on sale anywhere other than in Sussex?

[Change at Barnham]

I have often felt that we won’t be recognised as an established Premier League club until we see our kit for sale in a shop somewhere other than in Sussex.
I’ve never seen them at an airport or in any major city in this country or anywhere else.
I would think there must soon be a market in Japan and maybe a smaller one in South America.
Has anyone seen them available anywhere other than online?

In fairness, I haven’t seen Leicester shirts available anywhere other than Leicester and they’ve had a lot more success recently than most clubs.
It's quite a stranglehold the big clubs have on the game, and shows what an enormous battle we have to break into the second tier of supported clubs like West Ham, Villa, Leeds and Everton.

 

[nevergoagain]

Leicester have a shop in Bangkok airport

 

[RM-Taylor]

When we had JD as a kit sleeve sponsor, I saw the home shirt in JD Sports in Birmingham city centre

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Leicester have a shop in Bangkok airport

Don't think we even sell our kit at Gatwick airport

 

[B-right-on]

Leicester have a shop in Bangkok airport

Equal to our Churchill Sq then.

Leicester haven't really followed their PL success by pushing for the coverted 'top of the non-6 league' or any European success.

I think it'll take a few wins in the Europa League, getting to the quarters or semi's for a few seasons, before we're taken 'seriously' by these outlets.

 

[Lyndhurst 14]

I'm fairly certain they used to be on sale many moons ago at the now defunct Virgin megastore in New York because of the Fatboy Slim connection

 

[Papak]

When we had JD as a kit sleeve sponsor, I saw the home shirt in JD Sports in Birmingham city centre

Probably stocked in error...

 

[Super Steve Earle]

Must admit, if I go in to a sports shop, souvenir shop or any appropriate outlet home or abroad that sells football stuff but not Brighton merch., I often make a point of asking if they have any Brighton shirts, mugs or whatever they sell. When they say no, I can then say that's a shame and walk out without buying anything.

 

[Swansman]

Shirt sales are such a small part of the economy of a football club like Brighton in 2022. If they cost £55, the club will (if they have the standard Nike agreement which is likely) earn a little more than £4 per shirt. Sell 100 000 shirts, get £400 000... and I imagine the global demand for Brighton shirts is quite low, might be some in Japan but most are going to buy a Japan-kit with Mitoma rather than a Brighton one, and if they go for a Brighton kit they might buy a cheap, Chinese fake one.

I don't think Brighton could sell more than 200 000 shirts if it was available globally and the whole logistics of the thing would probably eat a lot of that £800k profit. Can't see the club pushing for it, I'm guessing it is more of a Nike decision where and when the kit is available.

 

[The Antikythera Mechanism]

I’m sure that there must be a couple of million Zambians wanting a Mwepu shirt #compoota

 

[Bod]

Quito?

 

[Shropshire Seagull]

Ha, reminds me when my 2 girls were young - years ago, popping into our local Sports Direct only to find they had plenty of Man U, Citeh, Chelski, Arse, Liverpool even Barca shirts, but had ALWAYS sold out of Brighton shirts. :-(

 

[Joey Jo Jo Jr. Shabadoo]

Shirt sales are such a small part of the economy of a football club like Brighton in 2022. If they cost £55, the club will (if they have the standard Nike agreement which is likely) earn a little more than £4 per shirt. Sell 100 000 shirts, get £400 000... and I imagine the global demand for Brighton shirts is quite low, might be some in Japan but most are going to buy a Japan-kit with Mitoma rather than a Brighton one, and if they go for a Brighton kit they might buy a cheap, Chinese fake one.

I don't think Brighton could sell more than 200 000 shirts if it was available globally and the whole logistics of the thing would probably eat a lot of that £800k profit. Can't see the club pushing for it, I'm guessing it is more of a Nike decision where and when the kit is available.

You are pretty much bang on. The club have said before that the margins on shirt sales are so small that selling them anywhere other than through the club shop/online store eats into the already small margins they make on shirt sales, plus the numbers they are likely to shift don't make it worth while either. I really don't think they are missing out on a massive number of sales by not having them in the likes of Sports Direct etc.

I'd rather make sure as much as the money as possible went back to the club when buying the kids their replica kit so would go direct even if there were other options.

 

[Comrade Sam]

Must admit, if I go in to a sports shop, souvenir shop or any appropriate outlet home or abroad that sells football stuff but not Brighton merch., I often make a point of asking if they have any Brighton shirts, mugs or whatever they sell. When they say no, I can then say that's a shame and walk out without buying anything.

Did exactly the same at a footy shirt stall in a clothing market in Izmir last week. The bloke claimed he'd never heard of them, so he asked a passer by who said 'Brighton!' knowingly.

 

[AstroSloth]

Shirt sales are such a small part of the economy of a football club like Brighton in 2022. If they cost £55, the club will (if they have the standard Nike agreement which is likely) earn a little more than £4 per shirt. Sell 100 000 shirts, get £400 000... and I imagine the global demand for Brighton shirts is quite low, might be some in Japan but most are going to buy a Japan-kit with Mitoma rather than a Brighton one, and if they go for a Brighton kit they might buy a cheap, Chinese fake one.

I don't think Brighton could sell more than 200 000 shirts if it was available globally and the whole logistics of the thing would probably eat a lot of that £800k profit. Can't see the club pushing for it, I'm guessing it is more of a Nike decision where and when the kit is available.

But it's not just about the initial shirt sales.

It's also about the marketing that having people abroad wearing your shirt does. If someone in Japan sees a Brighton shirt with Mitoma on they might be interested in what that's all about etc.

So while yes the initial return is small, it can lead to increased revenue in the future.

 

[East Staffs Gull]

If the club is only making around £4 per shirt it does beg the question as to why we use a supplier such as Nike.

 

[Swansman]

If the club is only making around £4 per shirt it does beg the question as to why we use a supplier such as Nike.

The money is in the initial sponsorship contract, not in the shirts themselves.

The deal between Nike and Brighton is probably worth somewhere between £2-3m, and it would likely be difficult to sell enough shirts with enough profit margin for it to be worth abandoning them.

 

[Jackthelad]

I like it, maybe I'm old-fashioned, but I like that you have to go to a bit more effort to buy Brighton club brand products/kits. The club is still so connected to East Sussex.

It makes as unique that only small bunch of EPL clubs do this. The people you see with Brighton kits on tend to have a stronger local connection to the team. My son was wearing his Brighton shirt today and people will smile at him. My other son who annoyingly flirts with being an Arsenal fan will get bad looks when he wears the Arsenal shirt his uncle got him.

Also if you do happen to be someone who is not local that's a Brighton that's quite rare so I always respect those people, but on the other hand I don't want our club to be a soulless Starbucks football club with their kits everywhere and their badge printed on everything like Arsenal, Chelsea.

 

[Neville's Breakfast]

But it's not just about the initial shirt sales.

It's also about the marketing that having people abroad wearing your shirt does. If someone in Japan sees a Brighton shirt with Mitoma on they might be interested in what that's all about etc.

So while yes the initial return is small, it can lead to increased revenue in the future.

Surely most people shop on the internet ? I can’t imagine the average Japanese youngster doing something so old fashioned as going to a sports shop for his/her football shirt. We do all our clothes shopping online and we are oldies. Admittedly, we don’t buy football shirts. To achieve your aim perhaps the Albion just need more direct advertising into that market.

 

[BRIGHT ON Q]

Ecuador soon I think.