Merchandise : Wed Apr 27, 2011 7:57 am
I was delighted to take my 4 year old Daughter to the game on Monday and she enjoyed it very much. Prior to the game I promised her a gift from the club shop. Having enterted the ground the club shop consisted of a table with the goods on.The selection of goods on offer was very poor. Cheap polo shirts, no badges etc. She ended up wanting a Cougar teddy which now calls Freddy! The cost was £10 which I didn't mind paying and was told it cost the club £8 to buy them.
I am a keen follower of rugby league and regularly buy gear from RL sites and e-bay. From my experience on e-bay there is always people wanting RL goods whether new or used!. I believe the fans want replica goods and teamwear. The polo shirts the players wear look smart as do the tracksuit tops. Has the club every considered opening these up for fans to buy as I for one would buy one tomorrow, but really don't want a cheap fruit of the loom polo with cheap Cougar badge on. I am told the club don't have any shorts for sale, why not? My point is, are we doing as much as we could to maximize the sale of merchandise. Look at the football clubs, merchandise is a massive income generator. Other clubs can do it. If you look at many SL sites, you can buy replica gear (shirts, shorts, socks etc.) and training gear.
I applaud the club for it's efforts of late, but the one thing the current board don't appear to possess that Messers O'Neill and Smith did is maybe foresight. Back then we speculated to accumulate and how nearly we came. I appreciate the club may well be working to small margins but I think we could be missing a cheap win here.