Paris St. Germain’s Qatari owners “
dreamed of a world” where supporters could travel with PSG luggage, while snacking on PSG chips, wearing a PSG Levi’s jacket with PSG Beats by Dre on their ears, and the merchandising department “made it happen,” according to Rachel Pretti of L’ÉQUIPE. Since the arrival of Qatar Sports Investments in ’11, and the takeover of merchandising “previously managed by Nike,” revenue in this area went up from €11.5M in ’11 to €42M ($47M) expected this year. The “goal is to reach” €90M ($100.5M) by ’20. The average customer spends €68 ($76) at the new 800 square meter megastore located next to the Parc des Princes. PSG Merchandising Dir Fabien Allège said, “The goal set by our owners is to become one of the 10 best known brands in the world. Our products are our first ambassadors.” Hence the “extreme attention” the club has paid toward choosing its 64 license holders, which “account for a quarter of the total global merchandising revenue.” Excluding alcohol brands and animal feed, the recent Ligue 1 champion “will brand anything,” and the club is attracting “more and more candidates from markets far from the world of football.” Levi's France Marketing Dir Servane de Pompignan said, “PSG is a lifestyle brand. ... Parc des Princes is a place where you must be seen” (
L’ÉQUIPE, 3/24).
