Nike, Adidas Bet Big on World Cup Football Shirts and Merch
- Fans struggle to buy replica football shirts when demand soars
- Brands find it difficult to decide how many kits to produce
England fans celebrate defeating Australia during their Women’s World Cup semi final match on Aug. 16.
Photographer: Leon Neal/Getty Images
When England and Spain meet in the World Cup final on Sunday, millions of football fans will be glued to their televisions. Many will gamble on the outcome. But for companies like Nike Inc. and Adidas AG, there’s a whole other bet playing out: whether they made enough merchandise to satisfy the euphoric demand from fans of the winning team.
The companies decided months ago how many replica and authentic jerseys to manufacture for each of the women’s teams. Those decisions were based on a combination of historical shopping patterns for each country, conversations with retail partners and a fair bit of conjecture. Getting the picture wrong can have real consequences — both in terms of lost sales and angered fans.