The BBC, a British public broadcaster, carried out research to explain why Premier League club shirts are so expensive.
Half of British clubs charge 85 pounds (around R$625) for a basic men’s shirt. For the other 10 teams, the price list starts at 60 pounds (around R$440).
The average price of an adult-sized Premier League kit has increased by 50.7% in the last decade. In the children’s version, the increase was 46.8% in the same period.
Why are uniforms so expensive?
Peter Rohlmann, an analyst specializing in sports marketing, stated that the cost of £85 for a shirt can be divided into:
- Fabric, sewing and shipping costs: £8.50 (R$62)
- Marketing, licensing, distribution cost: £9.50 (R$70)
- VAT (Value Added Tax or Value Added Tax in Portuguese): £13.60 (R$ 100)
- Manufacturer’s share (such as Adidas or Nike): £16.25 (R$120)
- Retail (commonly club stores): £37.45 (R$276)
What do manufacturers think?
Manufacturers argue that creating the shirts involves research and many production steps.
“It varies by brand and by designer, talking about how much technology is put into them,” Rob Warner, who has designed kits for Puma and Umbro, added to the BBC.
“A lot of the profit margin is put up by the seller because they are so dependent on the team’s success. When I was at Umbro, the sellers would buy a million England shirts, and if England went down in the group stage, suddenly they had a load of shirts that were worth nothing. It’s a risk,” he continued.
Asked why prices have increased recently, Warner said: “The techniques they use to create the shields and logos, everything is of better quality.”
“You also have to factor in the cost of brands trying to recoup some of the money they are paying to the elite clubs.”
In total, the BBC attempted to contact nine Premier League sporting goods suppliers: Adidas, Castore, Joma, Hummel, Macron, Nike, Puma, SUDU and Umbro.
