English Premier League football club Everton has signed a new multi-year deal with US sports merchandise giant Fanatics, with the agreement to result in the development of a “world-class retail experience” at its new stadium.
The agreement builds on a prior partnership with Fanatics subsidiary Kitbag and makes the parent company Everton’s official retail partner. As part of the contract, Fanatics will continue operating Everton’s retail outlets: Everton One at Goodison Park, Everton Two in the city centre and the club’s online store.
The partnership also includes commitments towards extensive work on planning for Everton’s move to its new home at Bramley-Moore Dock in Liverpool. Fanatics International president, Steve Davis, said: “Everton is a fantastic club and we’ve developed a deep relationship with them that has successfully led to this new, innovative retail partnership.
“It allows us to plan for the future and cater to fan expectations on a long-term basis. We’re particularly excited that Everton joins a list of international partners to adopt Fanatics’ vertical manufacturing model, which will significantly improve the overall supply chain and enable us to cater to the modern-day, on-demand needs of Everton’s global fanbase.”
The Fanatics deal comes after Everton on Tuesday reported “overwhelming” public support for its new stadium plans. The club revealed the results of the first stage of its formal public consultation into plans for the stadium and a community-led legacy project at its existing Goodison Park home.
Everton said that 94% of respondents agreed Bramley-Moore Dock was an appropriate location for the proposed stadium, while 95% agreed Goodison Park should be developed to benefit the community. In total 20,168 questionnaires were completed, which Everton states represents one of the largest ever responses to a public consultation exercise for a commercial development proposal in the city’s history.
The club said 1,919 respondents described themselves as non-Everton supporters, with three out of four supporting the plans for a new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock. Everton reported 97% support for the club remaining in the city of Liverpool, while 95% also agreed the developed Bramley-Moore Dock, which is part of Peel Land & Property’s Liverpool Waters regeneration project, is a suitable location for other sporting, music or cultural events.
Everton chief executive, Professor Denise Barrett-Baxendale, said: “These results are more than a vote of confidence in our plans; they show people recognise the transformational impact our stadium will have on North Liverpool and indeed the positive effect it will have on the wider city region.
“A new stadium will unlock a unique opportunity for our city region by delivering a £1bn (€1.14bn/$1.28bn) boost to the economy, 15,000 jobs and an estimated 1.5 million new visitors to the city as well as the regeneration of North Liverpool, including a community-led legacy at Goodison Park.”
Everton last month laid out financing plans for the stadium, and it said it remains on track to conduct a second-stage formal public consultation on the latest designs for the stadium and high-level plans for Goodison Park this summer. This will lead to the submission of both planning applications in the second half of 2019.
Image: Everton
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