“Always onwards and forwards” – that’s what the club anthem of 1. FC Union Berlin, sung by Nina Hagen, says. The second-division soccer club from Berlin-Köpenick has been moving forward for several years now. And with this success, the demand for fan merchandise is also increasing. This is where Rieck comes in.
“In March of this year, we were entrusted with the complete logistics of 1. FC Union Berlin’s merchandising articles,” says Patrick von Oy, Managing Director of Rieck Fulfillment Solutions. “We not only handle all online orders, but also supply retailers and fan stores in Berlin.” The new 27,000 square meter Rieck logistics center in Berlin-Schönefeld is where everything comes together. Over a thousand different products from 1. FC Union Berlin are constantly available here on 1,500 square meters.
Fan articles very popular
The demand for merchandising always increases at the start of the season. The new jerseys as well as jackets and scarves in the club’s red and white colors are in high demand. In addition, Rieck also stocks many other items such as toasters, garden chairs and alarm clocks in the Eisernen design.
On average, Rieck processes several hundred orders for dispatch every week. The goods are sent to end customers by parcel service or delivered to fan stores and department stores by the Rieck forwarding agency.
It all depends on the delivery quality
In addition to the Union stores in Köpenick and Friedrichshain, the club’s own online store www.union-zeughaus.de is one of the most important sales channels for 1 FC Union Berlin.
Thomas Stäpke, Managing Director of Finance and Marketing at 1. FC Union Berlin, relies on high delivery quality: “By switching our warehouse logistics to the Rieck Logistics Group, we were able to increase the quality of service for all Union fans,” says Thomas Stäpke. Everyone is pleased that their parcel from the Union-Zeughaus now arrives in the shortest possible time.”
Fans will not be disappointed: “We have always been able to meet the high seasonal and result-dependent demand without any problems,” says Patrick von Oy. “We have sufficient capacity for this at our logistics center in Berlin-Schönefeld. We have trained our employees intensively in advance so that they can step in at any time if volumes fluctuate.” Rieck also customized the IT processes to suit the customer. “Interfaces had to be programmed and implemented,” adds Patrick von Oy. “Our technical experts analyze the customer’s requirements, provide advice and develop appropriate solutions.”
Individual flocking – Rieck does that too
In addition to storing and shipping the items, Rieck also provides value-added services for 1. FC Union Berlin, such as flocking the shirts: in addition to the players’ names, customers can also have individual names flocked onto the shirts. The lettering is applied manually – Rieck employees have also been specially trained for this service.
“With the good start to the new season, fan merchandise was in high demand,” says Patrick von Oy. “We felt that in terms of quantity. And of course we’re hoping for another strong season for the Eisern!”