Two months left for the opening of the professional baseball…Can’t you wear the Shinsegae uniform?

Input 2021.02.03 06:00 | Revision 2021.02.03 07:05

[비즈톡톡]
At least 3 months to make a new uniform
SK Wyverns uniform worth 1.4 billion won already delivered…
First match with rival Lotte…Is plagiarism controversy recreated?

The opening of the regular professional baseball season is two months ahead. SK Wyverns acquired Shinsegae (004170)‘S concerns are deepening. What will happen.

It is because of the uniform. The year when the new team was founded is’biggest’ in short, when sales of various club products such as uniforms and hats increase rapidly. Fans who have nostalgia and loyalty to the old team are forced to wear the old uniform, but most fans open their wallets easily to purchase new uniforms as the team has changed. Uniforms are a great source of revenue for the club’s marketing expenses.

However, according to a sporting goods company, it takes at least three months to receive the actual players after developing and producing a new uniform. To create a new uniform, the official team name must be confirmed, but it is still undecided. Shinsegae applied for a trademark right under’Electros’ on the 1st, but it has not confirmed the naming (name) of the baseball team. A group official said, “The name of the baseball team is still being discussed,” and “All possibilities are open.”

Because of this, there are concerns that some people may not be able to wear a proper uniform until the start of the regular season due to lack of time. Even the opening of the home in Incheon on April 3 is a’Retail Derby’ with Lotte Giants, a distribution rival.

Woori Heroes, who acquired Hyundai Unicorns in the past, said,’Will the pro team do that?’ Until the middle of the year, I played in practice uniforms.

SK Wyverns also had to play games in 2000, the first year of their team formation, and for two months after the season started. At the time, the uniform design of SK Wyverns was removed from the design of the Samsung Lions, and there was a controversy about plagiarism.

The handling of SK Wyverns uniforms worth 1.4 billion won already delivered this year is also a headache. In 2018, SK Wyverns signed a contract with Dynafit Korea to sponsor squad supplies worth a total of 10 billion won (2 billion won per year) for the next five years. The company has already delivered 70% of the contract volume this year.

Compensation proposals have to be discussed over the handling of virtually obsolete uniforms. Dynafit said, “It is necessary to consult with each other on how to compensate for the quantity already delivered when the uniform is replaced in the future.” Some have interpreted that SK Wyverns held a ‘pre-sale of uniforms for player payment’ on the 15th and 25th of last month, and that it was finalized during the sale negotiations.

Shinsegae couldn’t even decide whether to keep the uniform sponsorship contract signed by SK with Dynafit. In the past, it was natural for uniform sponsors to change when teams change. In Korea, where the scale of professional sports is not large, team sponsorship contracts are often short-term contracts for one year, so it was not difficult to change partners.

However, the contract signed by SK Wyverns is five years long, so the circumstances are different. There is still a three-year contract period left. Shinsegae has a strong will to develop souvenirs and uniforms. The reason behind Shinsegae’s acquisition of the baseball team is the idea of ​​maximizing the synergy effect between affiliates. Shinsegae Group is dedicated to the fashion business. Shinsegae International (031430)There is also.

There is a possibility that Shinsegae will continue the contract with Dynafit. Since last year, Samsung Lions, who insisted on their own brands such as Beanpole, signed a sponsorship contract with Under Armor, and collaboration with pro teams and external brands is becoming a trend.LG Twins also has We received sponsorship, but we have signed a sponsorship contract with Desant since 2014.

I am confused about who will make the souvenir. SK has signed a contract to entrust the production of souvenirs to Hyungji Elite by 2025. Shinsegae has nailed the succession of SK Wyverns’ management team and squad as it is, but it is a position that the succession of the partnership agreement needs to be reviewed.

An official from Shinsegae said, “Before the signing of this contract, a general review of these details will be carried out.”

There is a high possibility that this year, there will be no spectators match due to Corona. PanIf they don’t find a ballpark, the sales rate of the club’s products will have to plummet. However, a new fandom culture is being formed, such as a campaign to support wearing uniforms at home.

Shinsegae is expected to introduce a variety of products that can be used in everyday life, like the professional baseball products created by Spao last year. I am looking forward to seeing what kind of business plans the group vice chairman Jung Yong-jin is planning.