Arsenal have released more fashion ranges than their strikers have scored goals - but it's working

Martin Macdonald

• 26 Feb 2026 09:15 CST
• 8 min read

News

Arsenal remain the favourites to win the Premier League this season and are in pole position to do so despite recently being labelled 'bottlers' by some.

Naturally, Arsenal fans are desperate for success on the pitch as it has been over 20 years since they claimed a Premier League title.

Off the pitch, though, they are flying with the club's retail division reporting historic success over the last 12 months or so.

The Telegraph reports that, since July of 2024, Arsenal have released 50 different fashion ranges online and in their club stores - that's more than the 44 goals scored by centre-forwards Gabriel Jesus, Kai Havertz and Viktor Gyokeres in that period.

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We are only two months into 2026 but they have already released two ranges - an “On the Road” collection and a “Year of the Horse” collection.

The Gunners aren't alone in expanding their repertoire of ways to make money, as basically every big club is considered a fashion label now as well as a football entity.

“Retail operations delivered another excellent set of results with revenues some 27 per cent up on the record level established in the previous year,” the club said of breaking records in 2024/25.

Arsenal's commercial revenue improvements have been incredible since 2021.

Deloitte reports that the North London club have reported a 104% increase in commercial revenue since 2021 - that is more growth than the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich, Manchester United and Liverpool.

No Premier League side has achieved more than 53% growth in that time.

Retail sales are, of course, only a part of this commercial revenue, but it is a significant one.

“Arsenal have understood something that many clubs are only now catching up to: culture compounds,” Ted Kohnen, chief executive of marketing and brand agency Park & Battery, explains.

“Football clubs used to treat merchandise as a byproduct of performance. Arsenal have treated it as a brand platform. Through smart collaborations and limited ‘drops’, they have positioned themselves less like a traditional sports retailer and more like a streetwear label with global distribution.

“For top clubs, merchandise and licensing can represent 15 to 25 per cent of commercial income, but the bigger impact is brand heat. When a drop sells out in minutes or a collaboration trends on social [media], it drives sponsorship value, global relevance and pricing power across every commercial line, from kit deals to regional partners.

“Arsenal have been successful because they’ve blurred the line between sport and lifestyle. They understand that a 19-year-old in New York or Lagos may engage with the badge through fashion before football.”

In order to try and appeal to young people, Arsenal have sought collaborations with fashionable brands such as Aries and A-COLD-WALL*. Vogue confirmed in 2024 that the collaboration with Aries was the most successful in that brand's history.

Perhaps the pioneers of embracing fashion in football are French giants Paris-Saint Germain.

In 2023, PSG became the first foreign football club to open a merchandise store in London and it was part of their project to become the "coolest" club in the world. As well as being a football club, they are undoubtedly a fashion institution now, as highlighted by their collaboration with the Air Jordan Nike brand.

Deloitte Money League 2025

While domestically they compete with the likes of Monaco and Marseille and on a European front against a host of elite teams, chief executive Victoriano Melero insists that, as a brand, PSG is now competing with the likes of basketball side LA Lakers and car manufacturer, Ferrari.

“We are competing with the likes of Juventus and Manchester United on the pitch and on this brand market, we’re competing with, say, the LA Lakers,” the chief told The Telegraph.

"When you look at the New York cap everyone thinks it’s New York, but it’s not, it’s coming from the team [New York Yankees]. On this aspect, for sure, we are competing with them. But I will even say that right now we’re even competing with a brand like Ferrari.

“Ferrari is a good example. Of course it’s a car manufacturer, then a Formula One race team and then there is a brand Ferrari. There are very few people who can afford a Ferrari, but they are developing all this merchandising around the brand Ferrari. That’s also, for us, a kind of inspiration.”

Going back to Arsenal, their players seem to be fashionistas, too, which has helped enhance brand identity. Myles Lewis-Skelly has walked the runway at Paris Fashion Week, Eberechi Eze has been present at a Burberry event and Riccardo Calafiori was recently wearing Dolce & Gabbana gear in a photoshoot.

“Arsenal have capitalised on timing and audience alignment,” says Jack Shaw, the founder of marketing agency Shawfire Media.

“Their resurgence on the pitch coincided with a younger, digitally engaged fan base. The club leveraged this momentum through culturally aware collaborations that resonate with Gen Z and millennial consumers. They have also benefited from strong creative direction, ensuring each collaboration feels contemporary and aligned with urban culture.”

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