Man Utd revealed profit from selling club merchandise when they announced the latest financial figures on Thursday.
A customer leaves after shopping at the Megastore at Old Trafford.(Image: © 2022 Bloomberg Finance LP)
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Manchester United's retail, merchandising, apparel and product licensing revenue was £37.2 million in the first quarter financial figures. Anti-Glazer fans have encouraged supporters not to buy official United merchandise, but the club have banked an increase of £3.7m from the same period last year.
United announced their latest financial figures on Thursday afternoon. Club sources have said the increased retail and merchandise revenue is due to the impact of a full three months’ trading under their new ecommerce model, compared to only one month in the prior year quarter.
However, the increase will not be received warmly by anti-Glazer fans, who have protested against the American family and encouraged others to hurt their pockets by boycotting merchandise.
United have protested against the American family since their controversial leveraged buyout in 2005, and the pressure has mounted in the last decade amid declining standards at the club.
The Megastore at Old Trafford has been targeted during anti-Glazer protests, which has forced the club to close its shutters to prevent protesters from causing damage to property.
In March, Sir Jim Ratcliffe spoke to The Times and said he would walk away from United if the protests were sustained against him. "[Fan protests] can be unpleasant. And I’ve probably failed on the having fun front. I mean, I can put up with it for a while," he said.
"I don’t mind being unpopular because I get that nobody likes seeing Manchester United down where they are, and nobody likes the decisions we’re having to make at the moment.
"Eventually, if it reached the extent that the Glazer family have been abused, then I’d have to say, look, enough’s enough guys, let somebody else do this.
"They can’t really come to a match, the Glazers. They’ve retreated into the shadows a bit now, so I’m getting all the bloody stick. We bought in and I haven’t seen them since.
"At the moment, I don’t have security, I don’t have to walk around like that. But it would defeat the object, wouldn’t it? You couldn’t tolerate it at that level, it just wouldn’t be fun."