The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Lichties’ town centre shop here to stay
When Arbroath FC opened a shop in the town centre earlier this year, it was meant to be temporary.
With the club’s facilities at Gayfield undergoing a six-figure transformation, the Lichties moved the club shop into the Abbeygate Shopping Centre.
However, this temporary shop has been so successful, the Championship side has confirmed it will remain in the Abbeygate for the foreseeable future.
Paul Reid, the club’s commercial director, said: “We had a lot of work being done at Gayfield, so we decided to move the retail offering while that work was being done.
“We didn’t want fans to have to come to the ground while the work was going on.
“One of the ideas was to drive our fans down to the town centre.”
Mr Reid said the reaction from fans has been “incredible”, prompting club bosses to make the switch permanent.
“We’ve had a great response while we’ve been at the Abbeygate,” he said.
“That’s in terms of sales, but it’s also become a real hub for the community.”
Other shops are experiencing better footfall too.
“That gave us food for thought about whether we return the shop to Gayfield or stay at the Abbeygate.”
The club is going to operate a satellite shop at its Gayfield home to allow supporters to purchase items – such as its new strip – on matchdays.
But Mr Reid said being in the town centre is important to the club.
“A big focus for me is looking at the high street and trying to revive that.
“We want to help other businesses.
“I know the Abbeygate well, I’ve been going since I was a kid, and you want to see that doing well.”
The approach has also drawn the attention of rival clubs.
“We’re getting other clubs asking us for advice,” Mr Reid said.
“A lot of clubs have been pulling out of town centres and reverting back to their stadiums, but we’re bucking the trend.
“Arbroath being the community club it is, we want to be seen in the community and playing a role locally too.”
The club has sold more than 1,000 of its new strips this summer, which Mr Reid said was “incredible”.
It launched a new third kit yesterday.