Rapid Retail assists City in servicing fans’ demands

Rapid Retail, supplier of high quality portable shops and retail units to sports stadia, entertainment venues and events, is continuing its success at Manchester City with the installation of its latest bespoke unit. The imposing structure, measuring 9mx9m, will initially be used to temporarily house the club’s merchandising shop while it is being renovated during the summer. The highly visible unit will then be converted into a programme sales shop, including a library of all City publications, past and present, and an office to house the programme sales management team, before the start of the next season.

The Cheltenham-based company has played an important role in the transformation of the club over recent years and this latest unit will join the success of the four shops and twelve kiosks already in use around the ground. The club's Head of Retail, Duncan Martin, said: "We have an excellent relationship with Rapid Retail. Their units are flexible, highly visible and a cost-effective way to increase our retail space. The acquisition of the latest unit will satisfy our fans’ growing demand for match day and back-issue programmes and allows us to centralise our programme management team."

Rapid Retail's Managing Director, Nick Daffern, said: "Manchester City was our first club and is a major client. We have already seen the success of our shops and kiosks taking the weight off their existing retail outlets during busy match day periods and we are now delighted to showcase the flexibility of our units further by helping them to achieve additional retail, office and storage space - all in one unit." 

Available in various sizes, each of Rapid Retail’s highly versatile kiosks is modern and stylish and, once decorated with Club graphics and branding, is highly visible. The units come fully 'plug and play' ready, being capable of taking a variety of utilities. They help ease pressure on the busy club shops, bars and offices, improving visitor turnaround, reducing time spent queuing and providing clubs with an affordable way to access flexible and adaptable retail floor space, helping them to maximise impulse purchase opportunities.

The company, which has also supplied units to Aston Villa, Manchester United and Liverpool, are, however, not simply focused on the big budget players. Smaller clubs with more modest budgets are also benefitting from the flexibility and portability of their units, including Doncaster Rovers, Coventry City, Swindon Town and Bristol City. 

Nick added: "The kiosks can be self funding with minimum or no capital outlay and they increase programme sales, speed up ticket collection and purchase and are an ideal way for venues to provide information about events either on the day, or in the future."