How long does it take to put a bit of trim on a red shirt? It's not like it'd be a surprise we needed something red every year or two. As the only outlet for the shirt, barring on line, over stock or not- they should always have some in. Christ, how hard would it be to give 'over stock' to schools or charities?
You can get a one off made to specifications thing like a ring or necklace sorted quicker than it takes to mass produce a plain red shirt with little else on it.
I believe it's a slow boat from China that is the problem. If they were manufactured in the UK, which they should at the price we pay, I would expect faster deliveries.
They could put em on a donkey and walk em here quicker than the times they're quoting, even from China! There are regular air services from Beijing and Hong Kong direct to Manchester - 12 hours non stop. It'll be 12 WEEKS by the time our shirts arrive.
By ship it takes between 21 and 29 days to reach the UK including land transport. We ran out of shirts a couple of months ago and they aren't getting new ones in till the end of the month.
Surely they don't need to order them that far in advance, what about when sponsors change? A lot of the time the contracts are only renewed in the summer yet the shirts are always available in good numbers.
Look Liverpool red said every club orders them in September so they order them in September OK! I know that clubs change supplier in the summer or exchange sponsor or even design the kit in February but no they are ordered in September. PC: excuse me can I order 200 shirts for in 10 months please? Manufacturer: yep so what colour? PC: I don't know. Manufacturer: erm... OK have you got the sponsors logo? PC: no we haven't signed a deal with a sponsor yet Manufacturer: what? Excuse me sir how do you expect puma to manufacture your kit without knowing the colour, or sponsor or anything? PC: Who said anything about puma? We haven't agreed a contract with you yet. Manufacturer: goodbye
It's just a case of negative thinking on the club's part. They need someone with drive and ambition who can think creatively. Instead of ordering the bare minimum each year and running out every time (then ordering the next year's stock based on numbers sold the previous year) they should be setting themselves a target and looking at how they can achieve it. The stall in the Alhambra was a brilliant idea - except that they just sold the stock there instead of in the shop rather than as well as. If their worry really is about surplus stock then it seems a bit backwards. Obviously you don't want to be left with loads but the price of any stock left over won't be at the retail price of £45. Let's say it costs the club £10 to produce a shirt (I doubt it is that much to be honest) then they are more worried about potentially losing the £10 (which they could offset by selling the shirt half price and still make a profit towards the end of the season) than the fact that they are losing £35 every time they don't make a sale.
