Salford Red Devils and Oldham Athletic sign up to Middleton company's print-on-demand platform

Middleton's print-on-demand merchandise platform Merchr has made two new signings in professional sports.

Merchr has struck partnerships with Betfred Super League side Salford Red Devils and Oldham Athletic FC, enabling both clubs to supply online ranges of personalised, made-to-order merchandise to their fans.

The merchandise collections include clothing, notebooks, bottles, travel bags, tea towels, mugs, coasters, aprons, cushion covers and more.

The Red Devils’ e-commerce store is directly integrated with Merchr, which means supporters can seamlessly order when visiting the club’s main website.

Meanwhile, Oldham supporters can order items via a QR code in the club’s Athletic Store as well as via the Latics’ website.

Merchr’s in-house team has designed an exclusive players’ range of products for Oldham Athletic, featuring images of squad members.

Jack Fox, co-founder and head of e-commerce at Merchr, said: “With our production facility in Greater Manchester, we are proud to partner with both clubs, which have a strong presence and rich heritage in the area.

“As well as our involvement with the fantastic range of products they offer in their club shops, the Merchr platform’s direct integration with the WooCommerce plugin means Salford fans can benefit from a wider range of personalised, on-trend and exclusive merch to show their allegiance and support for their teams with the utmost convenience, as they do not need to use any external links when ordering via the internet.

“For Latics supporters, our team of graphic designers have worked closely with the club’s retail team to develop their exclusive players’ range, enabling fans to show their support for their favourites team members.

“We look forward to working with both clubs to add more products in the coming months and to expanding our partnerships with other sports clubs as the Merchr platform continues its rapid growth.”

Hannah Edge, partnerships manager at Salford Red Devils, which is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year, said: “Our collaboration with Merchr marks a significant milestone for Salford Red Devils.

“This partnership represents our commitment to our dedicated fan base, as we aim to provide them with an exciting and diverse range of high-quality merchandise that reflects their passion and unwavering support for the club.

“We are confident that this venture will enhance the fan experience and strengthen the connection between the club and its supporters in a meaningful way.”

 

 

Matt Kirkham, Oldham Athletic Store’s retail manager, said: “Our new partnership with Merchr means we can offer our fan base a collection of exclusive online merchandise with rapid production. The timing is perfect for the Christmas gift market.

“Our fans love the improvements we’ve been making to the Athletic Store over the past year and we’re excited to now be offering an even wider online range supported by the tried and tested Merchr platform.”

Merchr, which has its production facility in Middleton, and offices in north London, recently installed a raft of custom-built machinery to boost capacity, as part of a £250,000 investment to serve a growing customer base.

Founded by an experienced team backed by Martin Varley – a well-known senior executive in the personalised products industry – Merchr swung into production earlier this year after securing £350,000 in an oversubscribed pre-seed fundraising round.

Its platform helps individuals and groups build their brand and reach new audiences by creating their own merchandise collection to sell to fans, friends and followers in an eco-friendly, risk-free way without the need to hold stock or worry about the logistics of production, printing and shipping.

Once an order is placed, Merchr’s software delivers print-ready artwork directly to the Middleton facility for production, and items are dispatched within 24 hours.

Its print-on-demand model encourages more sustainable practices, as it reduces waste because merchandise store owners do not have to hold any stock. The company uses water-based inks, BPA-free plastic bottles, and organic cotton in its garments.

Merchr currently has over 400 merchandise stores, ranging from sports clubs, visitor attractions, online brands, charities, schools, universities and colleges, influencers, podcasters, YouTubers, gamers, bands and other artistic performers, as well as online retailers and entrepreneurs.