Rapid Retail scores with Manchester City
Rapid Retail, the bespoke modular shop designer, is continuing its growth with the installation of more shops and kiosks at Manchester City's football stadium. The Cheltenham-based company is playing an important role in the transformation of the club which has a new high profile owner and manager. Success on the pitch, and increased interest off it, have made City's merchandise more popular than ever.
The club's Head of Retail Duncan Martin said: "Demand has increased, therefore we had to increase our retail space and Rapid Retail provides a cost-effective way of doing that. We've positioned the shops and kiosks in the areas where people are coming into the stadium. In the last 20 to 30 minutes, especially, it is difficult for them to get to the main store. So even though Rapid Retail's shops do not offer the whole range, it has been very worthwhile."
Rapid Retail's Managing Director Nick Daffern said: "We are taking the weight of the match day shops which are often very busy and difficult to get into. Manchester City is our first club and a major client. We are delighted we have helped to drive their revenue and benefit from the supporters' appetite for City merchandise."
As well as Manchester City, where it has three shops and ten kiosks, Rapid Retail has contracts with Aston Villa and the Brit Oval - one of cricket's most famous grounds. Thirteen specially-branded programme kiosks were also installed at the Stade de France in Paris for the Rugby World Cup. As a sports fan and having spent all his working life involved in sport, Rapid Retail's Managing Director is determined supporters are offered the best facilities possible when they go to a match, and that includes the shops.
Nick said: "What we are aiming to do is bring High Street brands to events. Our units are fully modular, fully moveable and we can set up a High Street shop, a complex of shops or even a pavilion in a very short space of time. Everything is transportable in trucks so, in effect, we can actually re-create the High Street. That is the aim of Rapid Retail over the next few years."
Rapid Retail is in advanced talks with other major sporting clubs and venues. If its partnership with Manchester City is anything to go by, they will be onto a winner as well.
