ToffeeWeb - Season 2007-08

The Mail Bag

Letter to Everton Marketing Department

I have just sent an email to the marketing department at Everton. Thought I would post it on here for all to read. I think the moe pressure we put on them, the better! Let's see if they actually reply.

Good morning,

My name is Graham Duffy. I have been an Everton supporter all of my life. I have a Season Ticket in the Park End.

My concern is that on numerous occasions I have been to the Club Megastore in an attempt to purchase some Everton merchandise, and the vast majority of times I have been told that the items I want to buy are out of stock.

Most recently, last month, I went in to the Megastore to try and buy a car sticker and a scarf for the back window of my car. I was told that there was none in stock and that there would be no more until the new stock arrives in July.

Can you please explain to me why there was neither of said items in stock? I appreciate that the new home shirt is not out until July, but why, when the sticker and scarf show the Club Badge, and this is not changing, is there none in stock?

This poses another question as to why is the new shirt not available until July, when other Premier League teams wore their new shirts for the last game of the season?

Furthermore, please can you please explain why we have no Club Shop in city centre Liverpool, yet there is one in Birkenhead?

Given that this is the Capital of Culture year and as the Liverpool One shopping centre has recently opened, thus attracting thousands of visitors to the city, can you explain to me why we have no visible presence in our city centre?

JJB are supposed to be our ?retail partner?, but if you have actually set foot in their shops, you will know that their stock of Everton merchandise is an absolute joke. I was in JJB recently and all that was on show were Liverpool, Man U, Arsenal and Chelsea gear. When I asked for directions to their Everton merchandise, their employee pointed me to a discount bin which contained only xl Everton shirts and socks - Is this good enough for Everton??

Surely the club are missing out on a great deal of money when us fans are willing to pay our money for Everton merchandise, but the stock is not available.

Ian Ross said recently in defence of the relationship between Everton and JJB that shirt sales have increased since they took over. This is to be expected because we have been doing better on the pitch, however, I believe, along with many, many fellow Evertonians that we are completely neglecting the retail element of our football club. If we had our own Club Shop in city centre Liverpool, stocking wall to wall Everton merchandise, I believe that we would significantly nearer fulfilling our retail potential.

I look forward to your response to each of my concerns outlined above.

Regards

Graham Duffy
Graham Duffy, Leeds Posted 26/06/2008 at 10:33:33

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Comments

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Patty Beesley
1 Posted 26/06/2008 at 15:12:31

Hear! Hear!

Alan Codd
2 Posted 26/06/2008 at 15:13:18

Couldnt agree more.
Went to JJB in the strand Bootle and the store attendant giggled as she pointed to a revolving display.
Fucking disgrace, but this is not something new.
Our club has been run by fucking idiots for years now and the penny will never drop with these halfwits.
Wyness AND kenwright fuck off somewhere else you pair of clowns

John Hall
3 Posted 26/06/2008 at 15:05:57

Great piece that made me ashamed with the comment about the discout bin containing XL shirts and socks. What a farce that we leave our merchandising to JJB. I bet there were loads of Wigan shirts for sale that didn’t come from a discount bin. Wake up KW and start to earn that big salary that you get for sitting on your arse and seemingly not giving a shite about this once great club. Just another in a long line of laughable incidents. We should post this in the echo and see what type of reaction we get from the powers that be cos they certainly won’t answer on this site.

Chris Kennedy
4 Posted 26/06/2008 at 15:13:51

JJB Warrington. Bolton Wanderers, Newcastle UTD, Man UTD, Man City, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, Juve, Barca even Wigan Athletic merchandice. Not a single item and I mean not a single item of clothing or merchandise associated with Everton Football Club. This is in Warrington town centre!! Just a few miles from the ground!! An absoloute joke.

James Marshall
5 Posted 26/06/2008 at 15:23:14

And have they replied yet Graham?

Iain Latchford
6 Posted 26/06/2008 at 15:48:01

went into my local JJB in Bedford. All what you would expect down here...Arse, Chelski, Yid. Also RS and Man Utd. Then........Newcastle.. ???? WTF ?

Not a sign of anything to do with us.

How much does it cost to have just a couple of shirts in there ?? We?re no longer perceived as a "big" club because we don?t try to portray ourselves as one.

As my Dad always says "We couldn?t organise a lucky dip !!" And he?s right.

Graham Duffy
7 Posted 26/06/2008 at 15:49:41

Not yet james, I’ll give it til Monday night then I’ll send it to the Echo. You think thats enough time for them to reply?

Graham Duffy
8 Posted 26/06/2008 at 15:49:41

Not yet james, I’ll give it til Monday night then I’ll send it to the Echo. You think thats enough time for them to reply?

Graham Duffy
9 Posted 26/06/2008 at 15:49:41

Not yet james, I’ll give it til Monday night then I’ll send it to the Echo. You think thats enough time for them to reply?

James Marshall
10 Posted 26/06/2008 at 15:56:25

I’d give em at least a week Graham - when did you send it?

Seamus Murphy
11 Posted 26/06/2008 at 16:17:13

Fair play Graham.

Simar
12 Posted 26/06/2008 at 16:47:55

One of the reasons I feel so passionate about this is that I work in the same trade and know that retail is not fucking ?rocket science?!!!

JJB run the club shop indpendently and are responsible for ALL items of club merchandise etc Car stickers, mugs, pens and pencils. Why they don't ever have adequate stocks levels of anything is baffling.

The Marketing of Everton produce through their organisation is a disgrace. It baffles me why the club would want to lose all of its merchandising potential in return for a ?fee? off JJB. With correct management and organisation the potential of the retail side of the club is endless.

JJB have totally fucked things up and the sooner it is back in the clubs hands and run properly the better!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Steve Johno
13 Posted 26/06/2008 at 17:03:49

Totally agree. EFC merchandising is a joke, here in Nottm JJB have sod all Everton stuff. Seems either with or without JJB, the club just cannot get its act together.

Will Bruce
14 Posted 26/06/2008 at 17:28:10

A car sticker and a scarf for the back shelf of your car? My God, what has happened to the ’Adult’ football fan!!!!!

Tony Williams
15 Posted 26/06/2008 at 17:41:46

Our merchandising has been a farce for years now so to place the blame squarely at Fat Keith’s door is not really fair.

Graham Duffy
16 Posted 26/06/2008 at 17:36:08

Will Bruce, have a word, mate. Have you ever thought that some people have children who like that sort of thing. I think any way of displaying your supprot for our team, be it buying a car sticker, shirt or going the match is all good, it all counts mate. I cant believe that it bothers you so much for you to actually write that comment....... what has happened to the ’adult’ football fan!

EJ Ruane
17 Posted 26/06/2008 at 17:50:49

Tony you say..

"Our merchandising has been a farce for years now so to place the blame squarely at Fat Keith?s door is not really fair"

Disagree.

The reason we employed the fat hopeless dolt, surely wasn’t to make sure things STAYED shite.

Those who were there before him were to blame then.

He’s to blame now.

(I’m genuinely curious - at what point do people stop making excuses, and point the finger at those who ARE to blame?).

Graham Duffy
18 Posted 26/06/2008 at 18:03:15

James, I only sent it today so hoefully get a response next week

Steve Ashton
19 Posted 26/06/2008 at 18:13:27

Just been to US through Heathrow, I could buy the shirt of every single Prem club in the sports shops with the exception of EFC and Fulham. On enquiry Fulham were awaiting delivery of new design.

EFC ?no we have never sold them?.

Say no more

Peter Webster
20 Posted 26/06/2008 at 18:29:50

I was at the JJB store in Bath last week. When I asked where the Everton display was I was told that they don’t stock Everton merchandise. No reason was given.

Philip Drew-White
21 Posted 26/06/2008 at 19:22:47

Have to agree, Gloucester, Kidderminster, Hereford, Cheltenham, Redditch - popped into them all on my travels around the region, is there any EFC merchandise.......in the words of our European slogan from a few years ago......you?re havin? a laugh!

Karl Masters
22 Posted 26/06/2008 at 19:20:38

Truly pathetic and they don’t even seem to care.

I have a list as long as your arm of fuck ups like this. Take a tip from me. Avoid paying £20 plus £5 p+p for the 07/08 DVD from the Club shop. You can get it from PLAY.COM for around £12 POST FREE.

Call me disloyal if you like, but I’m fed up with the service, the limited range of goods, dubious quality, inflated prices and out of stocks at Everton. Vote with your wallets... it’s the only language clowns like Wyness seem to understand.

I work in Retail and I know you can’t please eveybody all of the time, but at Everton we’re just taken for granted.

Alan Gubbins
23 Posted 26/06/2008 at 19:24:14

I could not agree more with the majority of opinion posted above and it really is a sad state of affairs that our great club are so clearly poor on the merchandising (revenue making!) front. I live in Dublin so Everton merchandise on sale has always been pretty limited to the home and away shirts being available each year. I can recall my excitement at hearing about the "deal" with JJB sports as there is a large JJB in the south Dublin area.

How wrong I was.....when I enquired about this deal I was told by the JJB store manager that "there was no such deal with EFC". I enquired further to be told that "there is a deal but it does not extend beyond the UK". From what I?m seeing in reader comments above it does not even extend within the UK. As far as the club megastore at Goodison goes it pains me greatly to say but it does seem as though it is very poorly run. Just a few examples from seasons gone by when I have visited:

1. Opening day season before last when we played Watford. Bought the home shirt and asked to have "Arteta" put on the back. They had run out of pre-ready "Arteta" and "Johnson" labels! Queues a mile long as young lads behind the counter (who looked as though they were on school holidays) struggled to piece together the A-R-T-E-T-A and J-O-H-N-S-O-N for a lot of shirts. Many punters were so disgruntled with the time wait (between queuing to purchase the shirt, pay for the name, and get the name put on I waited over 1 hour) that they simply left.

2. Saw a pair of Puma Everton trainers in the club catalogue and fancied picking them up. Couldn?t see them in the megastore until I spotted them on a dummy/model. Asked a young lad if he could check for a size 8, he told me that they were not available to buy but for display purposes only. I told him I had seen them in the catalogue and they were priced, etc. He said he?ll "go and check", lo and behold he found a pair for sale.....

3. Last day of the season trying to buy a pair away shorts, told that there was none available in my size (medium) anymore, only XL or XXL!

4. Bought the official club magazine "The Evertonian" in Easons Dublin one particular week and the following weekend was at Goodison for a game. Popped into the megastore to see the previous month?s Evertonian on sale, no sign of the new issue which I had bought 3 days previously in Dublin....it was clearly printed and available so why not sell it???

5. Passed the megastore after the Newcastle game in May at circa 17h45 having gone for a beer after the game. Doors closed and completely locked up. Plenty of like-minded punters peering through the glass pondering the fact that the opportunity to spend a few quid on Everton merchandise was being denied them.

Graham, would be extremely interested in hearing what kind of a reply you get from the club, hopefully it won?t be one excuse after another. Incidentally, does anyone know why the Everton club shop that was in the city was closed down? I know this coincided with the JJB deal but nonetheless.... I?m always saddened when I see our neighbour?s flagship store gleaming in the city and we have a few paultry rails of gear next door in JJB... surely something has to change for the better? Nil Satis......

Andy Crooks
24 Posted 26/06/2008 at 21:09:50

My father-in -law,a Liverpool supporter ,was over (from Belfast) in January to see his team for the first time in several years.He came back laden with RS crap but without the Everton stuff he promised me.He swore that he trolled the city centre but could find nothing.Could this be true or is he a miserable old bastard?

Andy Fredson
25 Posted 26/06/2008 at 21:38:47

The reason why our kit isn't available until july is because we weren't going to renew our sponsorship with Chang so the production of kits was delayed hence the reason why it's a lot later than usual. This information was provided by our club shop staff????

Tony Payne
26 Posted 27/06/2008 at 08:12:03

It’s not just ground capacity and success on the park that is needed to join and create the Top 5. All the clubs we are now competing with raise money and support by having visible support on the street through merchandise. Everton should outsource the whole thing to someone who knows what they are doing.

Brian Baker
27 Posted 27/06/2008 at 09:24:17

Why not let Mr Leahey and Tesco do our marketing, I am sure they will shift more merchandise than anyone can.

Ashley
28 Posted 27/06/2008 at 11:02:04

Guys, I have it even worse out here in RSA - I seem to be the only Everton supporter here. And whenever I go into one of these merchandise shops they stock the teams except ours - I generally get laughed at and asked why in heavens name I woud support a team like Everton!! It si sad to hear that you guys have problems right on your doorstep!

Graham Duffy
29 Posted 07/07/2008 at 12:00:26

On 26 June 2008 I sent an email to the marketing department at Everton, as presented in this previous Mailbag thread. To date, they still have not replied to my email, nor even acknowledged it. Everyone on here was in agreement with what I had written, and someone said I should send it in to the Echo to see what response it would get from Everton.

Before I send it to the Echo, does anybody have any suggestions as to what course of action to take?