Chris Stearns

Target Expands Further into Soccer with Umbro Partnership

Last January, Target entered the soccer world with their largest ever push into team sports sponsorship. This January, their commitment to the sport is further increasing thanks to an exclusive kids retail partnership with Umbro.

Their initial 2017 investment in soccer ultimately came due to their customers. They noticed trends of soccer-related items growing faster than any other sporting goods category and the overall trends of soccer participation in the United States.

“We said from the beginning that Target didn’t really choose soccer so much as soccer chose us. Soccer is very much reflective of the guests we serve – it cuts across generations and cultures, and is both suburban and urban, and is family oriented.” – Mark Tritton, EVP and Chief Merchandising Officer for Target

On the heels of that, a natural extension is to expand into an exclusive merchandise partnership with one of the most iconic and historic soccer brands. Need cleats, jerseys, balls, or shin guards for your kids playing youth soccer? Target and Umbro have you covered. Want the latest in youth soccer fashion to wear outside of games? Target and Umbro have you covered.

Soccer is currently growing in popularity in this country, especially among children under 18. We’re definitely continuing to monitor Target’s soccer sponsorships and are keen to see how the Umbro line is received, and how well it sells when it launches in February.

Read more about the new retail line here

Categories: Fashion, Soccer Marketing, Sponsorship, Youth Soccer