WREXHAM FC reckon they’ve shot themselves right into the big league with their latest Christmas pop-up store at the Eagles Meadow shopping centre in the town.
Steve Cook, commercial manager of the Vanarama Conference side now being successfully run by its own fans, says that with its prime location, slick presentation and huge range of top quality stock the store, which is open from now until early January, is equal to anything a Premiership club can offer its fans.
And he’s predicting that takings will smash through the £70,000 record set by the club’s shop in Eagles Meadow last festive season.
Steve said: “With the effort that’s gone into it I think you’d be hard pressed to find another store like this right up to Premiership level.
“This is our fifth pop-up shop at Eagles Meadow and we’re back there simply because they always do so well for us that we just can’t stay away.
“We’re in a prime location within a large unit near the bridge at the church end of the shopping centre which links directly into the town centre and should bring our potential customers flooding in.
“We’ve had the builders and shop-fitters in for some time and they’ve done an absolutely fantastic job for us. The unit, which was once occupied by Mountain Warehouse, has been split into two. The rear half has been converted into a large store-room and the front section is the display and sales area, which looks very professional.
“This year we’ve also got more stock than ever before. With a total value of about £100,000, there are over 130 different products which include something for everyone, from kids to adults and both men and women.
“There’s a really fun range of Wrexham FC onesies in the same colours as our latest home shirt with its red and black hoops. For the first time we’ve got boxer shorts and we’re carrying loads of winter hats in all sorts of designs comparable to those you can find in the major shops.
“We’re particularly excited to be offering the full range of Nike leisurewear, which includes everything from kids’ hoodies to adult training jackets, raincoats and bench coats, all in our colours.
“Apart from the clothing the store is also stocking lots of items bearing our 150th anniversary crest, from crystal glassware to car mats.
“We literally have something for everyone and to prove it there are some stylish ladies’ bobble hats and dressing gowns in a nice shade of pink.
“The entire range we have in the store is featured in a glossy, full colour catalogue we’ve just posted out to all our Supporters’ Trust members.”
Steve added: “The Eagles Meadow store is open from 9am-5.30pm from Monday to Saturday and from 11am-5pm on Sunday up until the middle of January.
“It will be manned by three of our own full-time club staff supported by six volunteers who are all trusted core people and will be working in there on a rota basis.
“Everything is in our favour to have a really bumper Christmas and we’re confident of breaking through the £70,000 record for takings we set at our Eagles Meadow Christmas store last year between November and January.
“We’re very pleased to be back once again at Eagles Meadow and we’re very grateful to the centre management team for being so accommodating. They have been extremely helpful to us all the way through the process of setting up the store.
“We always do so well with them that I believe pop-up shops are definitely the way forward for us and I can’t wait to see the figures from this year’s store.”
Eagles Meadow manager Kevin Critchley added: “I am delighted that Wrexham FC are back at Eagles Meadow for the festive season.
“The club is an integral part of the fabric of Wrexham and we hope it’s going to be a bumper Christmas in terms of takings at the shop and results on the pitch.”