CRC Sports launches Liverpool footie franchise in Thailand

1 min readUpdated Aug 16, 2017Aug 16, 201711:56 PM

Thai fans no longer need to travel to England to buy Liverpool Football Club merchandise, with the club’s first official shop for Thailand, CRC Sports, launching in Pattaya.

On the second floor of Central Festival shopping mall, the shop is being run by former Pattaya City Council member Rattanachai Suthidechanai, who has invested THB3 million (US$90,000) in the venture.

He says expects to sell between THB800,000 and THB1 million worth of merchandise a month as the latest English Premier League season starts this weekend.

AdvertisementAdvertise with usMobile 320×100

What this means

CRC Sports' dedicated Liverpool FC store in Pattaya, using a relatively modest THB3 million investment, appears a shrewd move. By offering official merchandise directly, it taps into Thailand's massive football fanbase, bypassing the grey market and strengthening brand loyalty. This contrasts with broader market entries like Human Made's first Thailand store or OCE's Bangkok opening, focusing on niche demand rather than general retail expansion. The strategy pressures multi-brand sports retailers in the region that might offer similar products less exclusively. The primary risk lies in the limited SKU range compared to a broader sports apparel store, but the targeted demographic should mitigate this. Retailers should watch the official sales figures after the first quarter, particularly how the THB1 million monthly sales projection holds.

Sarah Chen

Reader pulse

Will this dedicated football club store model succeed in Asia?

22,412 votes so far

Will this dedicated football club store model succeed in Asia?

Asia's retail intelligence, in your inbox