Arbroath’s kit sales soared to 2,300 last season as the Angus club’s incredible growth off the park continues.
Arbroath revealed a record turnover of £1.88 million for the year end 2022 with sponsorship, merchandising and ticketing sales showing exponential increases.
Lichties are continuing to excel commercially and have strengthened their brand identity with record-breaking strip sales.
With initial stock sold out by December 2022, Arbroath made an additional order with suppliers Macron that also flew off the shelves.
That is music to the ears of commercial director Paul Reid.
Reid outlined his dream of kids ditching Real Madrid and PSG kits in favour of Arbroath ones after ending a 22-year spell at Dundee United to join the Gayfield side in 2021.
“When I came in I thought I’d have to do a revolutionary sales pitch to get everyone wearing Arbroath kits,” Reid told Courier Sport.
“I didn’t have to do that. There was no quirky, niche marketing ploy needed. It has all happened organically.
“Kids want to wear Arbroath tops because they are mad Arbroath fans.
“You can use all the marketing tools in the world but, ultimately, kids will decide if they like a kit or a team themselves.
“The popularity of the kits is incredible.
“We sold 2,300 last year. It became clear at Christmas our initial stock was going to sell out and we had to put in an extra order to meet demand.
“People in the town – and beyond – from babies through to adults are all buying their kit.
“We took a leap of faith with such a big order and it paid off.
“By buying kits, Arbroath fans are not only strengthening the brand but they are directly investing into the club.”
Behind the scenes at @ArbroathFC’s kit launch ❤️🇱🇻 pic.twitter.com/JdihM6qq9T
— 𝐄𝐰𝐚𝐧 𝐒𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐡 📝 (@ewansmithpr) May 19, 2023
Arbroath’s merchandise sales soared by £151,089 as their turnover trebled during 2022.
They have launched a new home and away kit and are expected to launch a charity third strip in the coming weeks.
They have stuck to a traditional maroon home shirt but introduced an ‘on trend’ grey away kit after working with designers at Macron’s Italian base earlier this year.
“I’m in a group chat with 600 other clubs around the world who use Macron,” said Reid.
“I can see what kits they are producing, what works and what is on trend.
“We could play it safe with our away kit and rotate a black and white kit every year.
“But we want to do things differently. A lot of the bigger European clubs push the boundaries with their designs so why not us?
“The grey kit wasn’t a stab in the dark. It’s a colour that is very popular across Europe. It’s on-trend and something we hope will fit our club.”
