Paris Saint-Germain and Fanatics reveal new Los Angeles store; the first standalone European club retail location in North America
Paris Saint-Germain, one of the top sports clubs in the world, has become the first ever European football club to open a permanent retail store in the United States. As the club continues its path towards becoming one of the biggest and hottest brands in world sport, this new store illustrates its expansion into North America.
Paris Saint-Germain and Fanatics, a global leader for licensed sports merchandise, are teaming up to expand the club's global retail presence with several new stores that are expected to open in key international markets, beginning with the first location in the upscale Westfield Century City Mall in Los Angeles. These new store openings form part of the ground-breaking 10-year retail and merchandising deal signed between Paris Saint-Germain and Fanatics in 2020.
Fanatics, which is a part owner of retail giant Lids, will tap into Lids' physical retail expertise to open and operate the new Westfield store to provide shoppers with an immersive, unrivalled shopping opportunity. Visitors will have access to the broadest assortment of Paris Saint-Germain club merchandise ever offered in a US store, with a full range of Nike and Jordan teamwear, one-of-a-kind collabs, fashion collections and LA-inspired Paris Saint-Germain designs exclusively available at the new location. The range will also include the #PSGLIMITED collection, an “on-demand” customization program and exclusive licensee apparel and accessories dedicated to the North American market.
Following its pioneering deals with the likes of Nike and its Jordan Brand, Paris Saint-Germain has become one of the most talked about consumer brands in the world. In the United States, the club from Paris has amassed an incredible following in several of the biggest cities around North America, including Los Angeles. Paris Saint-Germain now has 14 fan clubs in the US and has opened 6 PSG Academy sites in recent years, including Los Angeles.
The Westfield store will feature the freshly launched Jordan Brand home jersey and will allow shoppers access to on-demand apparel customization while in the store. While Nike and Jordan Brand products will account for a significant portion of the assortment, Fanatics' vertical manufacturing capabilities will also ensure timely, on-trend products are available for shoppers in LA to celebrate the club. Fans and fashion lovers can expect an ever-changing assortment driven by the unique fashion collaborations for which Paris Saint-Germain is known and the creative excellence and quality associated with the core Nike and Jordan ranges. Top of the line in-store technology, including mobile POS devices, will ensure a smooth and seamless experience for shoppers.
“We are very happy to be back in the City of Angels where we had such a fantastic tour with the team in 2016 and where we have amazing fans of our brand, said Fabien Allegre, Brand Diversification Director at Paris Saint-Germain. “During the past year, our business has grown by 49% and international markets now represent 86%. North America has become our second largest market, with an 11% share, and our latest collections have had a great success here. Our popularity is growing steadily, as the number of followers on social media develops at a fast pace, the number of viewers for our games beats records and the opening of fan clubs and PSG Academy sites, show. Since our deal with Fanatics, both the interest in Paris Saint-Germain and our sales have increased. We are just beginning a new era of growth and development”.
“Paris Saint-Germain is a trailblazing club and brand, and Fanatics is a pioneer of the licensed sports industry, so it makes sense that this relationship drove the opening of the first permanent European football club store in North America” said Zohar Ravid, General Manager for Fanatics’ international business. “It's the ultimate combination of strengths. With this store, we are able to combine the PSG, Jordan, and Nike brand appeals with Fanatics' real-time product capabilities and our relationship with Lids, guaranteeing the best retail experience for customers in LA.”
“At Lids, we are excited to leverage our retail expertise by opening the first Paris Saint-Germain store in Los Angeles. We will offer the latest fashions, plus our ability to customize product in-store," said Lawrence Berger, co-founder and partner at Ames Watson and chairman of FanzzLids Holdings, which is the owner of Lids.