Everton is planning for a "world-class" store at its proposed new stadium after signing an improved deal with Fanatics, according to Phil Kirkbride of the LIVERPOOL ECHO. The Blues penned a "multi-year" agreement with Fanatics that will extend to a new ground at Bramley-Moore Dock. Everton board member Sasha Ryazantsev confirmed that the new terms will "bring in more money each year" than the £3M ($3.8M) per year the club is understood to have received as part of a decade-long partnership with Kitbag. Ryazantsev said, "The deal also supports our longer-term plans for our retail operation, including extensive work on planning for the move to Bramley-Moore Dock." Fanatics bought Kitbag in '16 and honored the remaining three years of the contract with Everton but announced a "fresh agreement that forms part of the club's global expansion plans." Former Everton CEO Robert Elstone said, "It is no longer Kitbag but Fanatics, which is a much bigger company than Kitbag ever was. The market has moved on and they have production capabilities that, I don't think, Kitbag ever had at the time, so they are much more nimble, they are able to deal with stock issues if there ever are any" (LIVERPOOL ECHO, 2/14).
