PSG opens first US store in LA

By

Robin Driver

Published
May 27, 2021

French soccer club Paris Saint-Germain has become the first European team to open a permanent store in North America with the launch of a retail location at Westfield Century City Mall, Los Angeles.
 

Opened in collaboration with sports merchandise licensing company Fanatics, the store offers the latest PSG products from Nike and Jordan Brand, including the club’s recently launched Jordan Brand home kit.
 
The location also stocks the entire #PSGLIMITED collection, as well as apparel and accessories that are exclusive to the North American market or to the LA store itself.

Fanatics, which owns a stake in Lids Sports Group, has channeled the American retail specialist’s expertise into creating an immersive in-store experience. Thanks to Lids’ technical capabilities, customers will be treated to a seamless check-out experience, courtesy of mobile devices at the point of sale, and will also be able to customize products on demand.
 
“With this store we were able to bring together the appeal of the PSG, Jordan and Nike brands, with Fanatics’ capacities in terms of real-time product supply and our relationship with Lids, which guarantees our customers in Los Angeles a one-of-a-kind shopping experience,” said Zohar Ravid, general manager of international development at Fanatics, in a release.
 
The LA store is the first in a series of openings planned by PSG in strategic international markets as part of the 10-year merchandising and distribution deal signed between the French soccer club and Fanatics in 2020.

PSG has increasingly been attracting attention in North America over the last few years and currently boasts 14 fan clubs in the U.S., as well as six PSG Academy locations. According to Fabien Allègre, PSG’s director of marketing and diversification, North America is currently the brand’s second largest market, representing 11% of its revenue last year.
 
PSG’s revenue increased 49% in 2020, with international markets accounting for 86% of the total.
 
“Our popularity is growing steadily, as shown by the rapid development of our community of followers on social networks, the viewing figures of our matches and the opening of fan clubs and PSG Academy locations,” explained Allègre.
 
“Since we signed our deal with Fanatics, we have seen a rise in interest in Paris Saint-Germain and in our revenues. We have only just begun a new era of growth and development,” he concluded.