Legia Warsaw’s new merchandising approach

During ESSMA’s Fan Experience Workshop at Legia Warsaw,  Przemyslaw Cepak - B2C Sales Director at the club - presented how the club is adapting its merchandising approach to reach more fans and ultimately create a better experience for them.

According to Mr. Cepak, merchandising is a brand experience. Clubs are selling their brand through products which allow the fans to identify with the club and to remember special experiences. Therefore, it is important that the product truly represents the values of the club. 

The club has a total merchandising annual turnover of €2.5 million divided in:

• 40% official Adidas match and teamwear
• 60% Legia- owned accessories including accessories and their own fashion line 

The products are sold through two main distribution channels: the physical store and the online webshop.

“We are selling emotions, cult objects, memorabilia souvenirs but foremost we are selling a brand experience. “

Physical store

Fans are able to buy Legia merchandise in their fan store at the stadium as well as at three additional selling points within the stadium on matchday. The main advantage of the physical stores are the high conversion rates. On average, almost 36% of fans visiting the store also buy something. To further improve the conversion rate, the club is experimenting with ways to attract fans earlier to the stadium to generate more traffic or to include a ticket sales point in the fan store.  

Online store

On the other hand, the online store generates more traffic on a daily basis but has a relatively low conversion rate. In total it generates 25% of the total annual turnover. The main challenge is to offer a more convenient customer experience with a better interface for mobile devices, same day delivery, personalised offers, etc.

Legia as a fashion brand

Next to Legia Warsaw’s official team merchandising, the club has launched its own fashion brand and is looking to further expand and segment based on their fanbase:

• Basics: good quality and subtle branding, which fans could wear for any occasion 
• Lifestyle: Legia inspired clothes for casual use
• Stadium: for matchdays with large emblems and clear branding
• Premium: more business-oriented with better materials, referring to sports elegance and subtle branding
• Collaborations with local brands: playful, strong image, higher pricing and limited editions

The introduction of a wider merchandising offering together with a higher number of visitors in the physical store and a personalised shopping experience on the online store should increase Legia Warsaw’s merchandising turnover while creating better products for every fan.

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