The rise of a new market- The underworld of fake football attire

 
In 2005 football tops could have been bought for £30-£40 making wearing your clubs attire relatively affordable, however Fast forwarding to 2024 we should be expecting to see this matched with inflation at around £50-£60, yet the worlds biggest clubs in the premier league have chose to go above and beyond this figure abusing their global status and reach capabilities by monetizing their increasing fans loyalty.

 An ‘authentic’ Manchester United top equates in the region of £110 creating an elitist culture in football merchandise, it has outpriced the working-class footballing roots of which the sport we love was built on. Nonetheless we still no matter where we go will see members of the public wearing their teams’ colours in the form of the latest strips and although many have accepted the inflated prices lots have found cheaper alternatives thanks to the growing underworld of ‘fake’ branded goods being sold online. 

Previously if you wanted fake attire Turkey was a counterfeit gold mine thanks to its weak law enforcement and proximity to manufacturing powerhouses in China allowing for ease of importation, this created a market of fake football kits from every team in each corner of the world, with kit prices typically banded at a fifth of their authentic RRP due to cheaper materials used in production. 

As technology has progressed this market previously prominent in countries like Turkey has now been turned into an E-commerce thanks to Chinese retailing app creations such as DHgate & Temu whom operate as a bridge for the counterfeit manufactures to the rest of the world, providing the highest quality of fake Footballing tops at prices significantly more affordable at only the click of a couple of buttons. The same Manchester united top previously mentioned can be found on DHgate for only £20 , this £90 saving makes it the economically smart choice for consumers.





Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Off-Pitch Style - How Players and Managers Build Personal Brands

Image
  Those who represent the footballing industry are typically remarked by their playing style, charismatic personas and moments of inspiration. Icons of the game are always in the public eye, shaping our conscious and subconscious perceptions. Yet, we often overlook how a players or managers personal style can reveal insights into their personality and own brand identity. Managers fashion is vastly contrasting topic, usually seen through 3 constants, thus being the tracksuit, the suit and smart casual attire. Each look brings varying connotations that can give us an indication of a mangers psychological state. Starting by looking at arguably the most successful and influential manger the world has seen in Pep Guardiola. He has been renowned for mixing smart casual with designer wear often partnering with premium brands such as Stone Island, this portrays himself as confident and high statured thanks to the high-end association the style of the brand holds. He dares to be differe...
Read more

The revival of 'old school' football fashion

Image
  Football kits golden eras are hailed as the 1980s through to the early 2000s, this can be attributed to not only their creative designs but their fit compositions. Football kits in modern times are tight and ergonomically friendly to ensure maximum comfort for players, however the previous era now regarded as ‘retro’ were renowned for their oversized fits, being baggy in nature and more flattering to be worn as casual attire. But what has fuelled these retro kits revival back into the current streetwear market? Well it can be accredited to the theory of ‘nostalgia pendulum’ were what was old can take 20-30 year to go full circle and become new again in the eyes of the fashion world (Flinn, 2019), this would explain why it not only is football kits making their revival but other fashion brands like Stone Island & Levis are rereleasing their 80s and 90s ranges back onto their product line as demand is prominent for such designs. Retro Footballing tops reinstalment can be al...
Read more

The Evolution of Football Kit Design: From Function to Fashion

Image
  The one constant that has survived in an ever changing and dynamic footballing world are the need for strips players wear to represent their clubs in matches. The birth of the game focused on strips purely for functionality neglecting any pursuit on comfort, regarded more so as ‘uniforms’ kits were typically heavier in design with durable thick material to withstand tough playing conditions, shaded in a visible colour to allow differentiation between teams was the only way of revealing a club’s identity.    Fast forwarding to the 1980s football strips became a haven for marketers, Eintracht Braunschweig became the first ever club in 1973 to accept sponsorship money thanks to the proposal of Alcohol giant Jägermeister to have their logo on the German club’s strip, the visionary tactic was strategized after realising the exposure of an engaged audience at games provided them with a platform to connect with alcohol fuelled fans.  The 90s have been hailed as the ‘golde...
Read more