Fanatics, a digital sports platform, intends to open its first independent location in the UK, demonstrating a change in its retail strategy. Although the location’s precise opening date has not yet been made public, Retail Week claims that the venue is situated on Regent Street in London.
The licensee giant, which previously only targeted stadiums and sports arenas for retail sites, is now expanding to the high street. The opening will strengthen Fanatics’ position in the UK, where it first entered in 2016 after purchasing rival Kitbag.
Since then, it has worked to strengthen its position in the area through a number of alliances, such as one with the Football Association (FA), which it recently extended to give it the ability to operate both physical stores at England home games and the e-commerce rights of the official online England store.
Fanatics reported “significant growth” across retail and merchandising channels since the collaboration started, along with record-breaking sales of England items during Euro 2024, at the time of the pact renewal.
A key component of Fanatics’ expansion strategies has been football itself, as evidenced by the company’s current collaborations with numerous organisations, including the Belgian Football Association, the Italian Football Association, and the German Football Federation.
