AFC to open a Crowmania store in the city

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Great move by the club, with the move to Adelaide Oval I think this is definitely a very smart decision by the club. Hopefully they get enough business to make it a success.

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/...-to-hit-the-city/story-e6frea83-1226551900254

 

[Crow-eater]

I think this is a great idea. It's good we're marking our territory early

 

[noddy]

We need a pub near by with a Crows banner flying proudly above.

 

[johnnypanther]

I think this is a great idea. It's good we're marking our territory early

We need a pub near by with a Crows banner flying proudly above.

I think that we should be going all guns blazing:

- looking at Memorial Drive complex as our training/admin etc base plus investment....
- Adelaide Oval no 2 as our training ground
- etc

 

[Elite Crow]

Personally I'm not a fan. s**t location, can't see us making a profit. Realistically how much Crows gear is sold? Retail is struggling and you've got alternatives at Westlakes, Kmart, AFL shops and on-line. Plus we are handicapped with the ugly bird, I won't buy merchandise with it on.

 

[MarksGirl-kbcrowgirl]

I reckon it is a good idea. Crowmania is always packed prior to games, I know if I want something, I will definately be heading to the city store. Also with the move to Adelaide Oval, I reckon its good timing.

 

[robboaustralia]

We need a pub near by with a Crows banner flying proudly above.

How about an AFC bar in the new casino expansion? That would be cool.

 

[Elite Crow]

How about an AFC bar in the new casino expansion? That would be cool.

Now that's more like it

 

[BundyJack]

Would need to hold 2-3,000 fans (if the price of drinks/food was reasonable enough - even more)

 

[TheMightyCrow]

I reckon it is a good idea. Crowmania is always packed prior to games, I know if I want something, I will definately be heading to the city store. Also with the move to Adelaide Oval, I reckon its good timing.

Agreed, it's actually a perfect location. They're getting in early before the move to AO

 

[fairfooty]

Now if the Club could buy the Queen's Head or the Cathedral (or both! ) the stage is set...

 

[NTRabbit]

An AFC bar is an even worse investment by the club than a city retail store.

If a third party wants to make a Crows Bar, and have some sort of royalties and signage deal with the club, then that's fine, but club themed bars tend to make stuff all money unless the club theme is only brought out on game day, and it reverts to something less garishly sporty when they want regular punters the other 6 days of the week.

Any retail outlet needs to be in the ground only, it's just too expensive anywhere in the city, let alone Rundle Mall, compared to the amount of traffic it would get year round.

 

[relapse]

An AFC bar is an even worse investment by the club than a city retail store.

If a third party wants to make a Crows Bar, and have some sort of royalties and signage deal with the club, then that's fine, but club themed bars tend to make stuff all money unless the club theme is only brought out on game day, and it reverts to something less garishly sporty when they want regular punters the other 6 days of the week.

Any retail outlet needs to be in the ground only, it's just too expensive anywhere in the city, let alone Rundle Mall, compared to the amount of traffic it would get year round.

Why will it be a waste of money ? There wont be anything like Crowmania at Adelaide Oval (well at least not straight away) and most of the patronage for Crowmania is on gamedays. At the end of this year without the gameday patronage the West Lakes Crowmania store will pretty much be rendered useless. There will be "merchandise outlets" at Adelaide Oval, but nothing that will come close to the scope of the current Crowmania so the Regent Arcade store I think will be used as a stop gap until the Crows can open a Crowmania type outlet at Adelaide Oval.

I am also not sure why you think it will be a failure as the city's trading hours will suit the club leading into football games (trading to 9pm on Friday nights and 5pm on Saturdays and Sundays) and they will get far more general retail traffic during non football days in a city store than they ever did at West Lakes.

 

[kaysee]

Why will it be a waste of money ?....

Gotta agree with NTRabbit (and other's comments about a pub) on this one, but it will be interesting to watch how it fairs.

No doubt it will receive some traffic, especially early on, but over the journey fans will either purchase merchandise at the venue or via online. B&M outlets are struggling more and more to make profits as online shopping increases. Also being in a "retail mall" they will then be competing with other retailers selling Crows gear (Rebel, Footlocker, Target, K-Mart etc). Sure some supporters will understand CM sales go directly to the club, but others will have NFI, see the premium prices and head to KMart to buy little Sally a replica at half the price. All teams have that supporter mentality, so I'm not specifically picking on the Crows here.

The difference is in setting up a specialised retail outlet, with a specialised consumer market, with limited products (which can be purchased elsewhere) all in a premium retail location with costly overheads. Who knows, perhaps it is only a short-term (1-5 year) idea. Perhaps they've done a deal to lower the overheads. I can't see it lasting though. When selling merchandise at the ground will capture more supporters at a lower cost. Sure they can't purchase there outside gameday, but that is what the webshop and other retailers are for... but, hey... I'm sure they've done their homework.

 

[Geoffa32]

An AFC bar is an even worse investment by the club than a city retail store.

If a third party wants to make a Crows Bar, and have some sort of royalties and signage deal with the club, then that's fine, but club themed bars tend to make stuff all money unless the club theme is only brought out on game day, and it reverts to something less garishly sporty when they want regular punters the other 6 days of the week.

Any retail outlet needs to be in the ground only, it's just too expensive anywhere in the city, let alone Rundle Mall, compared to the amount of traffic it would get year round.

Probably does not need to be a Crows themed bar. Just one in the city bought by the club.

One of our board members is already on to it I believe.


How many players are co-owners in pubs now??

 

[PykeDream]

Gotta agree with NTRabbit (and other's comments about a pub) on this one, but it will be interesting to watch how it fairs.

No doubt it will receive some traffic, especially early on, but over the journey fans will either purchase merchandise at the venue or via online. B&M outlets are struggling more and more to make profits as online shopping increases. Also being in a "retail mall" they will then be competing with other retailers selling Crows gear (Rebel, Footlocker, Target, K-Mart etc). Sure some supporters will understand CM sales go directly to the club, but others will have NFI, see the premium prices and head to KMart to buy little Sally a replica at half the price. All teams have that supporter mentality, so I'm not specifically picking on the Crows here.

I hear about these replica guernseys being sold in KMart and Best & Less etc. in SA, but I can't recall seeing any similar rip offs of Freo and WCE guernseys in WA. Can anyone tell me if its something that's exclusive to the state?

You'd think the smart money would be suing the department stores for copyright breaches and devaluing the Crows and Port brands. I'm no lawyer so I don't know if they have a leg to stand on, but if the clubs want their products to be the exclusive supporters gear and need to justify an inner city location then you'd think that'd be the way to go.

 

[kaysee]

^ merchandise can be licensed replicas. I.E. Puma might make the official gameday H&A tops which are sold via the club and sports stores, but the AFL also has a licensing agreement with another apparel maker (forget their name) that makes replica club gear to sell at a lower price point in places like K-Mart.

 

[Marty64]

How many players are co-owners in pubs now??

At least 2 are and there is a rumour Tex is as well.

 

[brucetiki]

^ merchandise can be licensed replicas. I.E. Puma might make the official gameday H&A tops which are sold via the club and sports stores, but the AFL also has a licensing agreement with another apparel maker (forget their name) that makes replica club gear to sell at a lower price point in places like K-Mart.

I think it's Sekem that do the el-cheapo guernseys/supporter wear for places like K-Mart, Best and Less etc. In the past, I've seen Puma and Canterbury (back when Canterbury were in the AFL market) do the generic el-cheapo wear.

 

[NTRabbit]

At least 2 are and there is a rumour Tex is as well.

A player being a co-owner in a pub is a vastly different story to the club being an owner. For the players, they tend to be minority owners who enjoy the concept, but leave most of the day to day to the majority owners, the guys who have the experience and the time to do it. For the most part you'd never even realise who owned it, because the venue is totally unrelated to football, and lives and dies like any other venue.

But the club? They'd be a full owner, with hired staff to run the place. Then what? If you make it a themed pub, you'll alienate the casual weekly crowd, especially the youth who burn the most dollars. If you don't make it a themed pub, and just stay as a silent partner, then what's the point? There are better ways to earn money, with less risks and less hoops to jump through.

 

[Dirty Bird]

But the club? They'd be a full owner, with hired staff to run the place. Then what? If you make it a themed pub, you'll alienate the casual weekly crowd, especially the youth who burn the most dollars. If you don't make it a themed pub, and just stay as a silent partner, then what's the point? There are better ways to earn money, with less risks and less hoops to jump through.

Seriously doubt it'd be a problem.
If a Chelsea themed bar canm work in the main street of Ulan Baator, Mongolia. I don't see how an Adelaide Crows themed bar in Adelaide wouldn't work.

 

[NTRabbit]

Seriously doubt it'd be a problem.
If a Chelsea themed bar canm work in the main street of Ulan Baator, Mongolia. I don't see how an Adelaide Crows themed bar in Adelaide wouldn't work.

Entirely different culture and set of circumstances.

We're talking about a pub, in Australia, in a spot where rent is high - and if they go somewhere where the rent is low, once again, what's the point? Nowhere near the ground. For a pub to survive in the city, or North Adelaide, it needs clientele all week round, and heavy patronage from spenders every weekend into the early hours of the morning.

 

[johnnypanther]

But the club? They'd be a full owner, with hired staff to run the place. Then what? If you make it a themed pub, you'll alienate the casual weekly crowd, especially the youth who burn the most dollars. If you don't make it a themed pub, and just stay as a silent partner, then what's the point? There are better ways to earn money, with less risks and less hoops to jump through.

indeed a much better way would be for the club to have the catering etc rights to the stadium (AAMI & AO) since we provide the crowds

 

[Blue Red and Gold]

I don't think the crows, if they bought a pub need to have it as a crows themed pub.

I also don't see the point in being a silent owner, the crows should be screaming it from the roof tops that they own it. I know I would prefer to spend my money there before a game rather than any other pub.

Perfect pub gig them would be the one opposite the train station with the large beer garden, that place come footy season will be a gold mine.

 

[Blue Red and Gold]

The strathmore was the one I was thinking of. I'd be going hammer and tong to buy that one.