Why Do Some Away Kits Sell Better Than Home Kits?
For decades, the rule of football retail was simple: stock 80% home kits, 20% away kits. The home shirt represented loyalty, history, and the core fanbase.
But in recent years, the data has flipped. From Arsenal’s black-and-gold kit to the viral success of Venezia FC, away and third kits are frequently outselling their home counterparts.
This isn’t a fluke. It is a fundamental shift in football kit sales trends and sports merchandising. For retailers and teamwear suppliers, understanding why this is happening is the key to unlocking higher profit margins.
Here is why the market has shifted and how your inventory strategy should adapt.
Breaking Tradition: The Shift in Home vs Away Jersey Popularity
To understand the sales data, you have to look at the design constraints.
The Constraints of Home Kits
Home kits are bound by strict tradition. Manchester United must wear red. Real Madrid must wear white. While this maintains club identity, it creates a “static design” problem.
If a fan bought a home shirt last year, this year’s version looks almost identical. There is very little incentive for the average consumer to buy the new version immediately.
The Creative Freedom of Away Kits
Away and Third kits are the designer’s playground. Without the restriction of traditional team colors, brands can experiment with unconventional patterns, bold colorways, and artistic concepts.
This creative freedom means every new season offers a product that looks completely different from the last. For your inventory, this “newness” drives impulse purchases that standard home kits simply cannot generate.
The "Wearable" Factor: Football Shirts as Streetwear
The biggest driver of this trend is that football shirts have left the stadium. They are now a staple of streetwear football fashion.
Blur the Lines Between Pitch and Pavement
Modern consumers, especially Gen Z, are looking for wearable football kits. They want shirts they can wear to a music festival, a bar, or a casual Friday.
Bright, primary-colored home kits often look too “sporty” for jeans. However, a muted away kit (think black, gold, pastel pink, or intricate patterns) fits perfectly into a daily wardrobe. This phenomenon, known as Jersey culture, has expanded the customer base beyond just hardcore football fans.
The Influence of Pop Culture
When a rapper or influencer wears a football shirt, they rarely pick the standard home jersey. They pick the obscure, stylish third kit. This social proof drives massive demand for specific designs, turning them into viral fashion items overnight.
Anatomy of a Best-Seller: What Makes an Away Kit Go Viral?
Not every away kit is a hit. The ones that sell out instantly usually share specific characteristics.
Unique Patterns and Cultural Storytelling
The best-selling kits often tell a story. Whether it is a pattern inspired by local architecture or a tribute to a historical event, these details add value.
This relies heavily on sublimation printing techniques. As a manufacturer, we see a huge demand for these all-over prints because they turn a piece of sportswear into a collector’s item.
Limited Editions and Collaborations
Scarcity sells. Brands often release “Special Edition” fourth kits to generate hype. For B2B buyers, stocking high-quality replicas of these creative away kit designs is a smart move, as the official versions often sell out in minutes, leaving a massive unsatisfied demand in the market.
Why Stocking Creative Away Kits Boosts Your Profit Margins
Shifting your focus toward stylish away and third kits offers tangible business benefits.
Attracting a Wider Audience
When you sell a traditional home kit, you are selling to a fan of that specific team. When you sell a stylish away kit, you are selling to fashion shoppers globally.
A customer might support Liverpool but buy a PSG third kit simply because it looks good. This drastically expands your potential global customer base.
Encouraging Repeat Purchases
Because away kits change drastically every season, they are viewed as “seasonal fashion drops” rather than just uniforms. This encourages customers to return to your shop every year to see “what’s new,” increasing your customer lifetime value.
Customizing the Next Viral Hit for Your Business
You don’t just have to sell replicas of famous clubs. You can use this trend for your custom teamwear clients (local clubs, academies, corporate teams).
High-Quality Replication of Complex Designs
Producing these trendy kits requires skill. Simple stitching isn’t enough. You need a partner capable of high-definition sublimation to capture the intricate graphics that define modern away kits.
We specialize in high-quality replicas and custom manufacturing. We handle the complex color gradients and detailed patterns that make these shirts popular.
Creating Your Own Unique Team Kits
Advise your local team clients to go bold with their away kits. Use our custom design services to create a “Blackout” version or a “Retro Pattern” version for them. Teams want to look like the pros, and offering them these fashion-forward options will set you apart from competitors selling generic templates.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: Do clubs sell more home or away kits?
A: Historically, home kits sold more due to tradition. However, in recent years, trendy away and third kits (like those from Venezia or PSG) frequently outsell home kits globally due to their crossover appeal in the fashion world.
Q: Why do football teams change away kits every year?
A: Clubs change away kits annually to drive commercial revenue. While home kits must maintain brand identity, changing the away kit allows clubs to tap into current fashion trends and encourage fans to buy new merchandise every season.
Q: What makes a football jersey "fashionable"?
A: A fashionable jersey typically features versatile colors (black, gold, pastels), abstract artistic patterns, or retro collars. These elements make the shirt suitable for casual wear with jeans (“Blokecore” style), rather than just for playing sports.
Q: Can I customize complex away kit patterns for my team?
A: Yes. Using full-dye sublimation technology, we can manufacture custom football kits with intricate patterns, gradients, and graphics that rival the creative designs of top-tier professional clubs.
Ready to Capitalize on the Trend?
The days of boring football shirts are over. The money is now in the bold, the creative, and the stylish.
If you want to stock the designs that are flying off the shelves, or create a viral look for a local team, you need the right manufacturing partner.