A football shirt is designed, produced, embellished and eventually sold to a fan.
For many years, that was the entire story. And to be fair, it worked perfectly well.
The purpose of a merchandise product was clear: represent the club, support the brand and generate revenue.
Today, however, the landscape is beginning to change.
Because the future of merchandising no longer lies in the product alone. Increasingly, it lies in the system behind it.
The product used to be the end point
Traditionally, merchandise products had a very clear role within a club's commercial strategy.
They were:
- sales items
- brand ambassadors
- revenue generators
- important parts of the collection.
Once a shirt had been sold, its job was essentially done. The product was the end point of the value chain.
There was nothing wrong with that approach, and many clubs still operate successfully in exactly this way today.
At the same time, however, expectations are changing.
- Fans increasingly expect digital experiences
- supply chains are becoming more complex
- the demand for transparency continues to grow.
New developments such as the Digital Product Passport are also pushing clubs to think differently about the products they sell.
This raises an interesting question:
What if a product could become more than just a product?
The real challenge isn't the product
When we speak with clubs, we rarely hear complaints about product quality.
Most organisations have already built strong foundations:
- shirts are designed
- merchandise is sourced
- club shops operate efficiently
- personalisation programmes are well established.
In other words, the core processes are already in place.
The challenge is usually not that something is broken.
More often, the challenge is that each department focuses on optimising its own area while the connections between those areas remain limited.
Yet a single football shirt already passes through multiple stages during its journey:
- Production
- Embellishment
- Warehousing
- Distribution
- Retail
- Fan ownership
The product touches all of these areas, but in many cases it is not actively connected to them.
As a result, clubs often face familiar challenges:
- Time-consuming stock counts
- Limited visibility of product movement
- Manual processes
- Weak links between merchandise and fan engagement
- Data silos across departments
Why the perspective is changing
This is where things start to become interesting.
Every football shirt already connects multiple processes. Physically, that connection already exists.
Digitally, however, the connection is often missing.
That leads to a different way of thinking.
- What if the product was no longer the end point?
- What if it became the starting point?
- What if a shirt could connect information, processes and digital experiences throughout its lifecycle?
From product to system
This is where the real shift begins.
And no, this is not about reinventing the product itself.
A shirt remains a shirt. A scarf remains a scarf. A piece of merchandise remains a piece of merchandise.
What changes is the role the product plays.
Imagine every product had its own digital identity. At any given moment, you could identify the product, understand where it is within the supply chain and access information linked directly to it.
The product suddenly becomes more than a sales item.
It becomes a connection point between production, logistics, warehousing, retail operations and fan engagement. The physical product remains the same. What changes is the additional layer of information and connectivity built around it.
That is where a system begins to emerge.
Why we are paying attention to this shift
For decades, we have worked on a very specific part of the product.
- Names & Numbers
- Logos
- Labels
- Embellishments
That experience has given us a unique view of how products move through production, distribution, warehousing and retail environments.
Since becoming part of the r-pac Group, our perspective has expanded even further.
Today, we are not only interested in what goes onto the product. We are also interested in the processes and systems that surround it.
Many of the challenges clubs will face in the coming years do not originate on the shirt itself. They arise at the intersection of production, logistics, retail and fan experience.
That is why we are increasingly exploring topics such as Connected Products, RFID, NFC, Digital Product Passports and connected commerce solutions.
Not because we are moving away from embellishment.
But because we believe the future of merchandising will be created where products and systems come together.
Why RFID, NFC and the Digital Product Passport Matter
Anyone following developments in merchandising will quickly come across terms such as:
- RFID
- NFC
- QR codes
- the Digital Product Passport.
At first glance, these may appear to be technology projects In reality, they are simply tools. The real change is much broader.
Products are becoming part of connected systems.
- RFID helps make product movement visible
- NFC links physical products with digital content
- The Digital Product Passport improves transparency across the product lifecycle.
Although the technologies differ, they all serve the same purpose: They connect information directly to the product.
And that is where new value begins to emerge.
What could this mean for clubs?
The obvious question is:
What does this actually deliver for a club?
The answer depends on the specific objectives, but several opportunities are already becoming clear.
Greater Transparency
Anyone who has tried to gain an accurate overview of inventory shortly before matchday understands how difficult that can be. Connected products can help make stock levels and product movement far more visible while reducing the effort required for inventory management.
Better Processes
Many merchandising workflows still rely heavily on manual tasks. When products become part of a connected system, information can move more freely between departments, reducing errors and improving efficiency.
New Fan Experiences
Products can unlock digital content, verify limited editions or provide access to exclusive club experiences. This creates a stronger connection between physical merchandise and digital fan engagement
Preparing for Future Requirements
Topics such as the Digital Product Passport will continue to gain importance over the coming years. Connected products provide a practical foundation for these future developments.
Why this matters commercially
Ultimately, this is not about technology for technology's sake. It is about improving decisions, processes and experiences.
A more connected approach to merchandising can help clubs:
- Manage inventory more accurately
- Improve operational efficiency
- Reduce lost sales opportunities
- Create new fan engagement opportunities
- Measure sponsorship activations more effectively
- Prepare for future compliance requirements
For this reason, more clubs are beginning to explore how products can become part of a wider commercial and operational ecosystem.
The Real Change
- RFID is not the change.
- NFC is not the change.
- The Digital Product Passport is not the change.
The real change lies in how we think about products.
For many years, the product was the destination. Today, it is increasingly becoming the connection point.
And that is why merchandising is evolving from a product business into a systems business.
From Product to System: Common Questions
Is Connected Product Merchandising simply another term for RFID? No. RFID can be an important component, but it is only one technology within a much broader ecosystem. Connected Merchandising is about connecting products with processes, data and digital experiences.
Does this mean clubs need to replace their existing infrastructure? Not at all. In most cases, the goal is not to replace existing systems but to connect and enhance them over time.
Is this only relevant for large professional clubs? No. Larger organisations often experience the benefits sooner because of their scale, but the underlying principles can be relevant for clubs of many different sizes.
What role do RFID, NFC and QR codes play? These technologies help connect physical products with digital information. The most appropriate solution depends on the specific use case and objectives.
Is this related to the Digital Product Passport? Yes. The Digital Product Passport is one of the major drivers behind this development, and many of its requirements overlap with the principles of connected product systems.
Why is dekoGraphics focusing on these topics today? Because we have spent decades working with products that move through exactly these processes. And as part of the r-pac Group, we now see opportunities that extend far beyond embellishment alone. Our goal is not only to enhance products, but also to understand how they can contribute to the wider value chain of a football club.
Conclusion: The future of merchandising lies in the system behind it.
A football shirt will always remain a football shirt. What is changing is the role it plays.
Products are becoming carriers of information, connection points between processes and gateways to digital experiences that extend far beyond the initial sale.
That is why the future of merchandising does not lie in the product alone. It lies in the system behind it.
And that is where the next stage of football merchandising is already beginning.
TRUSTED BY
