Adidas "will reportedly start selling the new jersey of the German national team, now with four stars on the chest, by mid-week," according to the SID. An adidas spokesperson said that the production of the new jerseys and fan shirts "started in China overnight after Germany's 1-0 win over Argentina in the World Cup final." Adidas CEO Herbert Hainer said that the company will sell more than 8 million jerseys, which "is distinctively more than during the World Cup in '10." Four years ago, adidas sold 6.5 million jerseys. The top selling jersey "has been the jersey of the German team, with more than 2 million sold units." Hainer added that the company expects "to sell more than 14 million footballs in the design of the official World Cup ball by the end of the year." It would be "close to a million more than during the 2010 World Cup" (SID, 7/14). REUTERS' Martin & Wagner reported a new German football shirt bearing four stars for Germany's four World Cup wins "had sold out on Monday within hours of the team's triumph in Brazil." Adidas "is already seeing the benefits, with customers flocking to its Frankfurt store on Monday in a bid to get one of the new white shirts," which cost €84.95 ($116). Adidas "had made a small batch ahead of the final in case Germany won." On Monday morning, adidas' website was already displaying a "sold out" sign next to the new shirts. The company said that "it would fly in new ones from China to meet the urgent demand."
Adidas shares ended the day up 2.85% and a spokesperson said Germany's win would give the company "a small extra boost."
Werner Haizmann, head of Germany's VDS sports retailers' association, said that "the old shirts almost completely sold out in the last days before the final and sports retailers could expect good business after the summer holidays due to World Cup fever" (REUTERS, 7/14).
