Laybuy scores official partner deal with Man United

AUCKLAND: Buynowpaylater firm Laybuy has signed on as an official partner of Manchester United Football Club.

While the New Zealand company will not appear on the iconic shirts of the Red Devils, the fiveyear partnership will allow fans of the club to buy merchandise at the famous Manchester United Megastore at Old Trafford stadium and spread their payments with weekly interestfree instalments over six weeks.

Laybuy

managing

director

Gary Rohloff founded the company around the kitchen table with his wife and son about three and ahalf years ago.

An avid football fan, Mr Rohloff said he had supported Manchester United since playing in the team’s strip during his school days.

He may not have ever risen to the professional playing ranks, but he described the sponsorship deal as a ‘‘dream come true’’.

Asked how much he paid for the privilege of an association with Manchester United, Mr Rohloff would not comment, saying only he ‘‘considers it as great value’’.

As part of the partnership, Laybuy would look to further integrate its offering across a number of the club’s other retail platforms in 2021, he said.

Ticketing was not available via Laybuy at launch, but the team was eyeing future possibilities in this area.

He viewed the Manchester deal as an important strategic move for the company to get name recognition and visibility in the

UK market, Mr Rohloff said.

The business had always had global aspirations, but he never imagined the possibility of working with Manchester United, he said.

He has previously also signed a deal with Manchester United neighbours Manchester City.

Mr Rohloff has been pushing its global expansion hard since the launch of the company.

Laybuy now has more than 5500 merchants signed up to use its service in New Zealand, where it has 40 staff, as well as a presence in Australia. And it is on a strong growth trajectory in Britain, where the market is double the size of New Zealand’s and Australia’s combined.

Signing a deal with the red half of Manchester is a major coup for the company.

Manchester United is ranked one of the three most valuable football clubs in the world, alongside Barcelona and Real Madrid.

The English club was last year valued at $US3.65 billion and is widely considered one of the smartest commercial operators in the industry.

Sponsoring the club does not come cheaply. Adidas pays £75 million ($NZ147 million) per annum for its kit deal with the club. — The New Zealand Herald