In 2004, the Just Sport Group agreed a deal with world renowned sports brand NIKE Inc. in a partnership that would see Just Sport Group manage football kit supply deals to the professional game under the Nike Brand.
Alongside this partnership saw the development of Just Sport Pro Club, a service that not only provides a kit supply deal for the football club, but a retail solution that sees Just Sport Pro Club take on the club shop and all related retail aspects. This includes stock purchasing, club store management, product marketing and running the online store. Our ‘all in one’ solution takes away the overheads and stress of managing the retail sector of the club and eliminating risks associated with holding high stock levels. Ultimately our solution allows the football club to focus its efforts in other areas of the business and Just Sport Pro Club giving the retail of each club complete focus to increase business and sales.
The first store to open under our partnership was at Aberdeen FC in 2004. Since then our partnership with Nike has remained and continues to be strong and successful and has seen Just Sport Pro Club supply over 30 professional teams through all the English and Scottish Leagues and currently deal with 4 clubs.
One of the benefits to our partnership is that it allows us to utilise Nike Europe’s stock holding. Having this access means we can efficiently manage stock levels for each of our retail stores, as and when required, without having a massive stock holding ourselves. It also gives us the ability to bring in large amounts of stock for high profile events such as kit launches and cup final matches.
Our Nike partnership has allowed us to complete impressive store renovations using Nike branded fixtures, giving each club a sleek, professional look as can be seen in our renovation of Portsmouth FC. (See Video below)
Following three seasons of Nike kit supply to Crystal Palace FC under Just Sport Pro Club, new ownership at the club offered a change in direction for kit supply to the Club. In 2012, the club sought to tender a new kit supply contract with ourselves, with a brief and requirement that the club have input into the design of their own kit.
The result was an opportunity to re-launch our in-house brand Avec, back into the professional game. Avec Sport had in recent years focussed on Grassroots football, alongside a major presence in the youth development and academy set ups at professional club level, however this renegotiation represented a great opportunity to raise the profile and image of the Avec brand once again to the forefront of the professional game.
Following a contract extension between the club and Just Sport Pro Club, we launched Crystal Palace’s new Avec branded Home and Away Kits in a season not to forget! The kit itself had been received well with supporters with record numbers of replica shirts being snapped up. Crystal Palace went on that season to achieve promotion to the Premier League via the Play-offs at Wembley Stadium.
What followed in the following season was nothing short of incredible, with the most successful Home and Away Kit launch in both Just Sport and Crystal Palace’s history, with sales beating all previous records by quite some way.
Since this return the Avec brand has produced bespoke kits for fiver further Football League teams in the shape of Barnsley FC, Doncaster Rovers, Scunthorpe United, Oxford United, and most recently Bradford City AFC, which was a long term successful partnership.
Since we began our journey back in 2004, our business model has proved extremely successful and has become the blueprint that others attempt to follow. We consistently offer a quality of service of the highest standard and take great pride in our staff and their commitment to dedicate their service to the needs and requirements of our valued customers.