adminEddie Chikamhi Senior Sports Reporter
DYNAMOS say the coronavirus travel restrictions have resulted in delays in the shipping of their playing kits, and club merchandise, for the new football season.
Club executive chairman, Isaiah Mupfurutsa, says DeMbare had big dreams for the year but their plans have been affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
They wanted to roll out club merchandise to the market but this has taken a big knock.
The Glamour Boys ordered kits, and replicas from Europe, under their deal with their principal sponsors Gold Leaf Tobacco,’’ said Mupfurutsa.
“Due to the coronavirus travel restrictions, shipping stuff from suppliers has become expensive.
“You have to pay two or three times the original price, in some cases, it has become difficult to get flights and shipping agencies.
“For instance, recently, we struggled to get freight companies to ship a consignment that we received from our partners in Belgium.
“The playing kits and the replicas are coming from outside the country and those are some of the challenges we are facing now in getting them delivered.
“But, we are sure they will be ready by the time the season starts. We have also made provisions for the playing kits, in case the authorities give the greenlight to start playing football, and the consignment is delayed.’’
The 2020 Premier Soccer League season failed to get underway, as scheduled in March, following the lockdown measures imposed by Government to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
The local football leadership have proposed new dates in September but it is highly likely domestic football will not be played this year due to the spike in the coronavirus cases.
Before the Covid-19 outbreak, Dynamos had begun exploring ways to enhance brand visibility, through merchandise sales, particularly the club’s replica jerseys and branded shirts.
Dynamos and their sponsors, Remington Gold, launched the four-year sales relationship agreement in February and the deal is now fully operational.
While DeMbare’s official home-and-away shirts will be on sale, when the season gets underway, merchandise like royal blue supporters’ shirts, are already on sale at US$10.
But, the first batch of official club merchandise, comprising royal blue supporters’ shirts that has been on the market, was hit by poor uptake.
Mupfurutsa said the supporters, who make up the market, have been struggling under the effects of the coronavirus lockdown.
But some have raised issues with the quality and the prices.
“The uptake has been very low and I think it’s because of a number of factors emanating from the COVID-19 pandemic, in particular, the financial constraints on the part of the supporters,” said Mupfurutsa.
“I think we all appreciate the world is going through unusual times.
“Many Zimbabweans are informally employed and, because of the coronavirus restrictions, some may have found it difficult to spare an extra dollar for the merchandise.
“Secondly, the league hasn’t started yet and the fact that people are not going to the stadium, for football matches, it tends to affect the appetite for replicas.
“When games are being played, and the team is winning, the fans would want to buy and try to identify with their team.
“It’s a chance for the team to boost income but we are not realising the revenue from the merchandise, as per the projections we had made, because everything is on standstill because of the coronavirus.”
The Harare giants have said the products will all be sold to the club’s fans and the general public.
The merchandise will be distributed through designated distribution agents, comprising sports shops, restaurants and food courts, service stations, licensed vendors, departmental/chain stores, wholesalers and club offices.
Mupfurutsa said the club have put in place measures to fight piracy and the sale of cheap, counterfeit merchandise by bogus dealers who have been making money at the expense of the club.
“We were in the final stages of registering of patents. But that, as well, was affected by the lockdown.
“That process was on its final stages and once we are done with that we will have a legal basis to fight piracy and the distribution and sale of counterfeits.
“We will be protected by the law and anyone found on the wrong side will be penalised by the law,” said Mupfurutsa.
Online Reporter