Manchester City, the legendary U.K. soccer team, will feel right at home in New York City when it squares off against AC Milan at Yankee Stadium on July 27 during its preseason tour of the U.S. this summer.
That’s because the club is opening a pop-up shop, CityStore, at Rockfeller Center on Saturday. The shop, on the corner of Sixth Avenue and 49th Street, will remain through Sept. 22 and will offer a range of Puma kit collections, a jersey personalization station and exclusive merchandise.
“The U.S. market continues to provide exciting opportunities for Manchester City to grow and we’ve experienced an increase in engagement and support from the region over the past few years across a number of areas, including a 48 percent uplift in sales from our online CityStore this season,” said Serena Gosling, director of integrated fan experience, retail and licensing for Manchester City. “Ahead of our summer tour, this store offers a further touchpoint for our fans within the U.S. to engage with the club.”
She said there will be a full program of marketing moments over the next four months along with frequent merchandise drops and a console where fans can experience the club’s virtual partnership with EA Sports.
Gosling said about two years ago, the team started exploring the idea of opening stores to offer fans a more immersive experience. Today, it has stores at its home field, Etihad Stadium, as well as units at Manchester Arndale in the U.K. and the Yas Mall in Abu Dhabi. The club is partnering with Stichd to execute and operate the stores.
The shop sells team merchandise.
Courtesy of Manchester City
Gosling said Manchester City has seen “exceptional growth in the States” and with the team coming to the U.S. this summer to play, “it was a good opportunity to try a store in New York.” If it’s successful, she said, the team will seek a permanent location in the States, most likely in New York or on the West Coast. Next summer, the FIFA Club World Cup will be played in the U.S. from June 15 to July 13, and the country along with Canada and Mexico will also host the FIFA World Cup the following year, she said, which will heighten interest in the sport even more.
“There’s definitely growing interest in the U.S.,” she said. “We’ve seen the sales of our kits go up on many metrics over the past few years.” Interest in Manchester City has also increased because the club has won the Premier League title four years in a row and “Americans like winning teams,” Gosling said.
To celebrate the opening and Manchester City’s recent win of the 2024 title, the Premier League trophy will be on display in the store from Saturday through Monday for fans to pose with for photos.
Manchester City’s men’s team will also be playing in Chapel Hill, N.C.; Orlando, Fla., and Columbus, Ohio on its U.S. tour.
Pete Emerick, licensing manager for Stichd Football, said: “Stichd is delighted to be partnering on this exciting new project in New York. We look forward to working with Man City and delivering a fantastic experience for the fans and look forward to further activations this summer within the store as part of the club’s visit to New York as part of its wider preseason tour.”
