England’s European Championship 2024: Capitalising on a Merch-Obsessed England

While the recent launch of England’s European Championship 2024 kit has stirred up some debate among the general English public, it is expected to be a hit in terms of sales. From home shirts to away shirts, hats to scarves, and jackets, any international football tournament featuring the Three Lions presents a significant opportunity for retailers to boost merchandise sales.

Sporting the right look has always been a key mark of support for any sports team around the world, and international tournaments seem to be one of the few events nowadays that will unite the English population. The summer of 2018 proved just how impactful sports can be on retail when Marks & Spencer sold out their waistcoat stock during the Russia World Cup, simply so that fans could emulate Gareth Southgate, the England manager.

As anticipation builds ahead of Euro 2024, kicking off in Germany, in June, retailers should be cognizant of the opportunities that the upcoming tournament will present over the next few months. In our latest blog, we explore how retail brands can make the most of Euros hype…

Stocking the Right Merch in Retail

Merchandise plays an important role in the build-up to any international tournament, but this doesn’t necessarily mean retailers must stock official shirts. Similar to the genius of M&S’ waistcoat push, brands can leverage Euros interest by simply finding the right products that land with their customer base. The trick lies in being able to find that niche.

Outside context plays an important role. Bucket hats, as well as retro t-shirts and shorts pairings typically become highly popular – the heat of the summer clearly influences purchasing choices. Retailers must use this context to cater to their audiences.

By integrating an effective reporting and analytics solution, retailers can gain real-time visibility of their performance, helping them to make better decisions, faster. With historical tracking of a range of factors – such as previous sporting events or last year’s summer sales performance – retailers can analyse trends to understand the type of products that will sell quickly during the Euros period. From here, it is simply a case of stocking the merchandise that suits the retailer’s customer base in the right context and watching it fly off the shelves.

A Short Window of Opportunity

Once the product selection is finalized, retailers must also consider the timeline they are working towards. Now that the official kits – and additional accessories – have been released, the hype will gradually build right up until England’s first game, when they kick off against Serbia on June 16.

This offers retailers a 3-month period, similar to that of the festive shopping season, whereby Christmas shopping begins as early as October. It is during this period that retailers must maximize their sales efforts, slowly ramping up their sales efforts as the Euros draw closer. Once the tournament begins, timing becomes imperative because as soon as England is knocked out, any interest will disappear, and leftover stock will cost retailers in the form of reduced sale prices and storage.

The tournament timings fall as follows:

Inventory is everything in these small periods of opportunity. Being able to find the right balance between under and overstocking products to maximise sales is paramount to optimising performance ahead of the Euros. Again, reporting and analytics will help retailers to better assess their required stock levels during the tournament.

However, Teamwork Commerce’s RFID-Powered Stock Counter Application provides retailers with real-time visibility into inventory status, allowing brands to keep on top of their stock levels with complete accuracy. It empowers users to make informed decisions based on up-to-date stock information.

Don’t Forget the Experience 

While retailers scramble to make the most of the short-term gains available over the next few months, they must also consider the opportunity to turn any quick wins into long-term success.

Merchandise sales introduce the potential of new customers who might have never thought to shop with certain retail brands previously. These are the opportunities that retailers must grab with both hands.

By delivering a seamless, personable in-store experience, retailers can leave customers feeling highly valued and satisfied. Ultimately, this encourages them to return to the retailer for a replicated experience in the future. These experiences can be achieved through a range of tactics.

From a simple, yet effective, greeting as customers enter the store, to personalised interactions through Customer Relationship Management (CRM) technology that tracks data such as purchase history, size and colour preferences, or even the name of a customer’s dog. Small gestures can make a big difference, and personalisation goes a long way to helping store visitors feel appreciated. Combined with additional perks such as personalised discounts, retailers can quickly turn a quick sale into a retained customer.

There is Always an Opportunity

The Euros will bring excitement to the nation, and for retailers, it brings the potential for enhanced sales opportunities and customer growth. These small periods of national hype can appear at any moment. We see it every year with January sales and Black Friday, and international tournaments have a similar impact. The key for retailers is to be ready, prepare effectively, and execute with a long-term view in mind.

To find out more about how Teamwork Commerce can help your retail business ahead of the Euros, book a demo today.