December 20, 2022 5.00 pm This story is over 18 months old

Lincoln City to close Waterside club store as customers shift to online

Bringing to an end three years at the Waterside
The Lincoln City club shop at the Waterside Shopping Centre. | Photo: Ellis Karran for The Lincolnite
By Local Democracy Reporter

The Lincoln City Football Club store at Waterside Shopping Centre will close at the end of the year following a recent supporter survey and reduced footfall.

The store opened at Lincoln’s Waterside Shopping Centre in 2019, serving as a city centre area for fans to buy Imps merchandise and kits.

However, the store will now close at the end of 2022 as Elite Pro Sports and Lincoln City look to enhance the retail experience at the club’s LNER Stadium instead.

This has been brought on by a stuttering footfall level since the shop re-opened after the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as a notable boost in online sales.

A range of offers will be available to fans before it closes permanently at 4.30pm on Saturday, December 31.

Merchandise will be available from the club’s online store and the stadium shop, which will also be opening at weekends on a trial basis from Saturday, January 7, 2023.

The LNER Stadium store will open from 9am to 5pm on Saturdays and 10am to 4pm on Sundays, alongside the usual hours of 10am to 5pm Monday to Friday.

CEO of Elite Pro Sports Lee Jenkinson said: “On the back of COVID-19, we saw a vast shift in fans’ purchasing behaviours, with a substantial increase in online orders, despite the store being back open regularly.

“Collectively with the club, we have looked to work several initiatives over the last 12 months to bring footfall back to the level of pre-pandemic and although this has not been successful as we had hoped, the online sales have continued to grow.

“We’d like to thank the Waterside Shopping Centre for all their hard work and assistance over the last three years and wish them every success for the future.”

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