Wolves to open China megastore
Wolves have announced they are opening a megastore in China this summer.
The shop will open this summer in a prime location in Shanghai near owner Fosun’s headquarters.
The megastore – due to officially open on July 15 during Wolves' trip to take part in the Asia trophy – will be located on the iconic Bund – Shanghai’s most famous and picturesque landmark.
It will be stocked with Wolves replica products and a number of Wolves inspired fashion lines unique to the Chinese market.
The club will also be opening three smaller pop-up stores in Nanjing, Hangzhou and Chengdu.
Wolves chairman Jeff Shi said: "This new megastore is a clear sign of our ambition to become a strong global brand, embracing our fans across the world, and becoming a key part of their everyday life.
"We’re trying to produce some high quality fashion products and broaden the concept of Wolves.
"One of the reasons we bought Wolves is because of the logo, the crest and the name, it’s special.
"We’re thinking about how to maximise the effect of the logo. If we put it on fashion wear and products, maybe in the future the revenue from that will be higher than from the club – you never know.
"We’re at an early stage but that’s what we’re trying to do.
"There aren’t many club shops out there so it’s a big deal.
"We have a very good location. It’s a window to tell the fans we’re there, it’s very good."
Managing director Laurie Dalrymple added: "As a club, we are constantly looking to innovate and break new ground, and the development of this retail store is something we have been working on for some time.
"Our Chinese fanbase has been steadily growing thanks to the success of the last 24 months and we see this as an excellent way to meet the demands of our Chinese supporters, and to help make new ones.
"We see China as a key market for us, both in terms of fan acquisition and also developing the commercial aspirations of the club, and timing the store opening for when the first team and staff are in Shanghai was a natural fit.
"This is a giant step forward for us, a really ambitious project that we have been working on together with our colleagues in China, and we are really looking forward to the store’s opening this July."
