Despite enduring one of their most challenging seasons recently, Manchester United has surprisingly emerged as the top-performing football club in terms of replica shirt sales at UK airports.
According to recent data, fans purchased more Manchester United jerseys during the Premier League season than kits from major competitors such as Manchester City and Liverpool.
While Liverpool ultimately clinched the league title, their kits ranked only fourth in popularity among shoppers at JD Sports outlets surveyed at London Stansted, East Midlands, and Manchester airports.
Manchester City, United`s local rivals, secured the second position in sales, followed by England national team shirts in third place.
The trend for retro football kits also appears to be experiencing a resurgence, with England shirts from the 1990s making it into the overall top 20 bestsellers.
Although Manchester United kits were the overall bestsellers, regional sales variations were noted. Arsenal`s kit, for instance, was the most popular at London Stansted airport and ranked within the top five across all three airports managed by Manchester Airport Group (MAG).
Premier League team Tottenham Hotspur, despite Stansted being their nearest airport, only reached eighth place at that location. Across all airports, Tottenham was the fourth most popular London team, trailing behind Arsenal, Chelsea, and West Ham. They were even outsold by international clubs such as Paris Saint-Germain and AC Milan.
At East Midlands airport, the England shirt was the number one bestseller.
Commenting on these findings, Adam Jupp, MAG`s Communications Director, stated: “Airports are natural places for people to display their football allegiances – whether they are fans travelling domestically or internationally for matches, or international visitors arriving to experience famous teams here in the UK.”
He added: “Despite a challenging season on the pitch, Manchester United’s broad appeal, both within the UK and with international tourists, appears to remain as strong as ever.”
