NBAStore.eu To Launch in September and Offer Fans a Wide Range of NBA-branded Products
LONDON – August 13, 2012: The NBA today announced a multi-year partnership with Kitbag, Europe’s leading online sports retailer, to launch the league’s official online store for Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
Set to launch in September 2012, NBAStore.eu will offer an extensive range of NBA-branded products from the league’s official merchandise partners, including adidas, the NBA’s official outfitter, Spalding, Mitchell & Ness, New Era and Forever Collectibles. Fans will also be able to access exclusive products, including personalized jerseys and graphic t-shirts.
The site will initially be available in English, French, Italian and Spanish with further languages to be developed. Fans will be able to make purchases in local currency and will benefit from a centralized European distribution point saving on transit time and shipping costs. Local language customer service will further enhance the e-commerce retail experience.
“As a leader in online sports retail in Europe, Kitbag is the ideal partner to launch the first Europe specific NBA e-commerce destination,” said Ben Morel, Senior Vice President of NBA Europe. “NBAStore.eu will provide NBA fans in Europe, the Middle East and Africa with a localized e-commerce destination that will allow them access to the vast array of NBA merchandise through which they can express their passion for the game.”
Andy Anson, CEO of Kitbag, commented: “The NBA is an iconic brand with tremendous global appeal and following. We are proud to be associated with the NBA and delighted they have chosen Kitbag to become their official online store partner. We are confident that our deep expertise within the online sports retail sector will be a key asset as the NBA strives to build its position in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.”
Kitbag will also collaborate with the NBA to manage in-event retail stores at upcoming events.
About Kitbag:
Kitbag, part of Findel Group, is widely recognized as one of Europe’s leading sports online retailers. In addition to its own store, Kitbag.com, Kitbag operates a variety of official online stores for some of the most famous sports clubs and associations in world including Manchester United, Barcelona FC, Real Madrid, F1, Wimbledon Tennis, The Ryder Cup and UEFA.
Kitbag also manages multi-channel retail and merchandising for Everton, Manchester City, Nottingham Forest, Sunderland and Leicester Tigers. These flourishing relationships are underpinned by Kitbag’s strong relationships with the biggest brands in sport including Nike, adidas, Umbro and Puma.
With over ten years’ experience, Kitbag has developed into the market leader in providing innovative bespoke retail solutions to sports’ greatest names.
About the NBA:
The NBA is a global sports and media business that features three professional sports leagues: the National Basketball Association, the Women’s National Basketball Association, and the NBA Development League. The league has established a major international presence, with offices in 15 markets worldwide, games and programming in 215 countries and territories in 47 languages, and NBA merchandise for sale in more than 125,000 stores in 100 countries on six continents. Current NBA rosters feature 78 international players from 39 countries and territories. The NBA’s digital assets include NBA TV, which is available in nearly 60 million U.S. homes, and NBA.com, which averages more than 42 million page views per day, more than half of which originate from outside of North America. The NBA is the No. 1 professional sports league on social media, with more than 300 million fans and followers globally across all league, team, and player platforms. Through NBA Cares, the league and its teams and players have donated more than $200 million to charity, completed more than 1.9 million hours of hands-on community service, and created more than 720 places where kids and families can live, learn, or play.
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Contacts:
Tanya Rattigan, Kitbag, +44 161 219 7801, T.Rattigan@kitbag.com
Tom Marchesi, NBA EMEA Communications, +44 20 7795 8921, tmarchesi@nba.com