The European football season is back with a bang and looking at how brands are stacking up on merchandise, it is evident that clubs like Manchester United, Arsenal, AC Milan, Liverpool, Barcelona, Real Madrid are extremely popular here.
While a few years ago finding an original club jersey was a rarity, they can now be found at almost every nook and corner. And not just the jerseys: while Nike offers the merchandise of Manchester United, Arsenal and Barcelona, Adidas has Liverpool, Chelsea, Real Madrid and AC Milan products.
Jerseys, waterbottles and more
A club jersey will cost you Rs 2,500-3,000 and one has the option of buying the “home” jersey as well as the “away” jersey. Besides, there is also an assortment of other kinds of merchandise which includes polo T-shirts, track suits, T-shirts and shorts. The prices here range from Rs 1,000-Rs 3,000.
A few select outlets will also have sweat shirts, shorts, caps, wrist-bands and even water bottles. The caps cost Rs 500 while the shorts are for around Rs 600. Wrist bands are priced around Rs 350 while water bottles come for Rs 700.
On the run, out in the cold
Also Read
During winters, jackets and sweatshirts are picked up quite a lot by buyers. There are Manchester United Eskimo jackets on offer, costing around Rs 5,000, in addition to the normal sweatshirts which can be yours for as little as Rs 2,500. As far as accessories go, bags are popular. Both shoulder and travel bags are available. A Liverpool travel bag costs around Rs 2,000 while shoulder bags retail for around Rs 1,200.
Considering how brands are now targeting buyers in a big way, it won’t be a surprise to see other merchandise such as posters and flags coming into the Indian markets very soon. And at the end of the day, it’ll be the Indian football fans who will rejoice at this influx of their favourite club merchandise.
On the ground
The European football clubs have their own retail stores in the West as well as in a few places like Singapore and Malaysia in Asia from where they market their own merchandise. It is unlikely, however, that that sort of thing will be replicated in India soon.
So far, the merchandise is being marketed largely through apparel and kit sponsors. If one wants to buy other stuff such as beer mugs or glasses, wallets, bean bags or even products for pets, then the only option is to do so online from the clubs’ official websites. Otherwise, as of now, fans in India will have to remain content with apparel and accessories. Five years down the line, who knows, a Manchester United megastore might just be located in Connaught Place or Colaba!