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Recently, a new Paris tourism formula has emerged among Koreans. The schedule includes a visit to the Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) store, the club of soccer player Lee Kang-in, on the commonly known Arc de Triomphe and Champs-Élysées course. The local atmosphere is that during the trip, if the date is right, you don’t miss out on watching a PSG game.
The PSG flagship store is located in the downtown area of the Champs Elysées, a 5-minute walk from the Arc de Triomphe. The two-story store was opened on January 3, 2022, twice the size of the existing store. On the 13th of last month, I visited the PSG store, which has become a new attraction.
![‘Lee Kang-in’ is captivated by Paris… and even has the syndrome of buying a 180 euro shirt[동아리]](https://dimg.donga.com/wps/NEWS/IMAGE/2024/11/02/130346148.2.jpg "‘Lee Kang-in’ is captivated by Paris… and even has the syndrome of buying a 180 euro shirt[동아리]")
The store’s signboard model was definitely Lee Kang-in. It is no exaggeration to say that it starts with Lee Kang-in and ends with Lee Kang-in. I realized once again that Lee Kang-in’s status was unusual. Upon entering the entrance, Lee Kang-in appeared along with PSG captain Ashraf Hakimi on the vertically installed electronic display board. If you move three or four steps, you will reach the ’Nouvelle Collection’, which displays the latest design uniforms, and here too, the first thing you can see is a shirt with Lee Kang-in’s English name and uniform number 19 engraved on it.
The manager of the PSG store we met at the scene emphasized, “The store structure focusing on Lee Kang-in means that he is a key player of the PSG club.” He added, “Since he has been showing steady performance since his transfer last year, products
On the first floor, high-end authentic items worn by PSG players in games and replicas made of different materials and lowered in price are on display. The prices are 180 euros (about 270,000 won) and 125 euros (about 187,000 won), respectively. Home and away uniforms are the same price. Additionally, windbreakers and training clothing with the PSG logo were placed nearby. Training shirts (50 euros) for players to wear while warming up have also been prepared. Various PSG-specific accessories were also sold. These were products that could be used in everyday life, such as mufflers, smartphone cases, key rings, cushions, and pouches.
The second floor is a space for women and children. PSG women’s team uniforms, which are difficult to find in Korea, and sportswear that can be worn from newborns to elementary school students are gathered in one place. There is also a marking zone here where you can engrave your desired name and uniform number for 20 euros. In the field, there were many cases where the names of the parent and child were engraved on the uniform. Small souvenirs such as candies, cookies, cups, game consoles, and tumblers were also sold steadily. If the purchase price exceeds 100 euros, tax exemption applies, so most of them seemed to carefully prepare the relevant documents.
Lee Kang-in ranks 1st in PSG uniform sales
Son Heung-min also ranked 5th overall in Europe
It is certain that Lee Kang-in’s uniform sales this season will be first in the team. Kylian Mbappe, who was with PSG until last season, moved to Real Madrid in Spain, leaving him without an opponent. According to the British media The Sun, Lee Kang-in ranked first in online sales asof April this year, surpassing Mbappe. Even offline, sales were the second highest after Mbappe.
On this day, some sizes of Lee Kang-in’s marking uniform were sold out. The blue home shirts were available in all sizes, but the white away uniforms, which are good for everyday wear, were sold in size XL. The PSG store manager said, “Among Asia, Korea dominates the internet sales rankings,” and “offline stores also have many Korean visitors, and most of them purchase Lee Kang-in’s uniforms.”
The Korean market is emerging as a so-called ‘big hit’ among world-class soccer clubs. The British edition of the sports webzine The Athletic published a special column on the sales status of English Premier League uniforms and introduced that last year’s Tottenham Hotspur Son Heung-min uniform ranked 5th in sales in Europe. In addition, sales of Hwang Hee-chan’s Wolverhampton Wanderers FC uniform are said to have increased by more than 1,000% thanks to orders from Korea. ‘PSG Lee Kang-in Jersey & Goods’, which was held on Naver Shopping Live on the 29th of last month, received a lot of attention with 290,000 concurrent users.
Recently, as the number of domestic soccer players advancing overseas has increased, interest in soccer in general has also been directly linked to uniform sales. In fact, French professional soccer Ligue 1 announced that the number of Korean fans visiting Paris Parc des Princes (PSG’s home stadium) has increased by more than 20% compared to last season. Korea is the second largest subscriber to the PSG YouTube channel after France. PSG is also actively promoting the game. PSG club opened a three-story flagship store in Gangnam, Seoul last March. There are only three countries where PSG has flagship stores directly managed: France, the United States, and Korea.
An official in the clothing industry said, “When you support your favorite players, you naturally want to keep team items such as uniforms,” and “It brings out a sense of homogeneity between fans and players inside the stadium, and outside of it, it is used as a means to differentiate from others. “There is,” he said. He continued, “Clubs look for ways to sell by introducing new designs of uniforms every season,” and added, “The reason soccer players receive astronomical salaries is because uniforms contribute to additional revenue.”
Clubs are once again reaching consumers’ wallets with uniform segmentation strategies. In addition to the home and away kits, a third uniform to be worn in each league match will be created separately to see the market response. Unlike official uniforms that must comply with regulations, design restrictions are reduced and higher completeness is considered an advantage. Also, on Hangeul Day, Hangeul uniforms and Hangeul events are held to attract attention.
According to Musinsa, soccer uniform sales in the first half of this year (January to June) increased 54% compared to the same period last year. Among these, the proportion of female consumers of Daegu FC uniforms, a popular product, reached 40%. This means that sportswear is gaining popularity as a fashion item beyond gender boundaries. An industry official said, “As sportswear culture for both men and women develops and the advantages of sportswear with both functionality and design are highlighted, the uniform market will continue to show an upward curve.” He added, “In particular, the latest uniforms are made with light materials through the application of science and technology, improving activity and performance. “It is highly functional and is suitable for everyday wear for all ages,” he said.
!['Lee Kang-in' is captivated by Paris... and even has the syndrome of buying a 180 euro shirt[동아리]](https://dimg.donga.com/a/180/101/95/2/wps/NEWS/IMAGE/2024/11/02/130346146.2.jpg)
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Jeong Jin-su, Donga.com reporter [email protected]
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The popularity of soccer uniforms is on the rise, with significant sales increases observed. An official from the clothing industry noted that fans’ support for their favorite players often leads them to purchase team merchandise, creating a sense of unity among fans. Clubs are responding to this demand by introducing new uniform designs each season and segmenting their offerings, including unique third kits for league matches.
Innovative design and a push for functionality have broadened the appeal of sports uniforms, making them not just sportswear but also coveted fashion items. Recent data highlights a remarkable 54% increase in soccer uniform sales in the first half of the year, with female consumers accounting for 40% of sales for some popular teams. This shift underscores sportswear’s growing status as a unisex fashion statement.
Advancements in technology have also enhanced the quality of these uniforms, making them lightweight and suitable for everyday activities while maintaining performance advantages. As this trend continues, it is expected that the uniform market will grow, fueled by a combination of fashion interest and advanced functionality.