Newcastle offer huge eight-figure budgets as club start retail rebuild to ‘delight’ crowd

Newcastle United is in the process of assembling a retail and licensing team with the goal of satisfying their supporters. The club has allocated a substantial budget for this initiative, with plans to bring in key personnel.

They have already brought in Simon Lilley, a former Arsenal executive, as the interim retail and licensing director. Newcastle United is now actively searching for three important roles: a head of retail operations, a global licensing manager, and a buying and merchandising manager. These positions are intended to be filled by experienced individuals in the field.

The head of retail operations will have a budget of over £30 million and will be responsible for overseeing the team in charge of Newcastle’s main club shop at St James’ Park. According to the job advertisement, the new appointee’s tasks include improving all aspects of the club’s retail operations to ensure an outstanding customer experience at all contact points, developing the outlet strategy in and around the stadium and the city, and managing the e-commerce team.

The buying and merchandising manager will manage a budget of £10 million and will be tasked with maximizing the success of the kit partner retail opportunity in anticipation of Newcastle’s upcoming partnership with Adidas for the next season. This role involves responsibilities such as ensuring the right stock is in the right place at the right time to boost sales and delight the fans.

Lastly, the global licensing manager will be responsible for developing a comprehensive global licensing strategy, establishing relationships with potential brand partners to create a robust commercial prospects pipeline, negotiating and securing favorable licensing agreements in terms of royalties and contract compliance, and ultimately growing the club’s revenues.

This recruitment drive is in response to Chief Commercial Officer Peter Silverstone’s acknowledgment that Newcastle needs to build its retail and licensing business from the ground up. He emphasized the importance of these “building blocks” during a recent conference, recognizing the need for substantial off-field development.