Football Fever Sparks a Global Party Officially Licensed Club Merchandise: Scores in International Markets
From World Cup to Premier League, the final whistle sends tens of thousands of fans into celebration—while outside the stadium, officially licensed football merchandise, from party supplies and balloons to collectibles, continues to fuel the passion of supporters.
Founded in China as an OEM manufacturer, Everway Industrial Limited (Everway) pivoted in 2019 by launching its own partyware brand, driven by the changing global trade conditions. Securing official licensing from top international football club in just a few years, the business expanded overseas into the United Kingdom, Spain, Portugal, and Poland, as well as North America, Mexico, Argentina, and Australia.
Brian Chan, Founder of Everway Industrial Limited, recalled, “The turning point for our football licensing business came during the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, when we launched our first football party box. Building on the market credibility and brand recognition gained through our official Peppa Pig licensing rights in Hong Kong and Macau, as well as the UEFA officially licensed products we introduced during UEFA EURO 2024, we gradually secured licensing agreements with internationally renowned football clubs. Leveraging these partnerships, we expanded into global markets while swiftly adapting our strategy to meet evolving market trends and changing consumer demands.”
Global ID: Access to Global Markets
During negotiations with a football club over a licensing partnership, the rights under discussion initially covered only the United Kingdom and Hong Kong. However, the club proposed extending the licence to a global territory at a similar cost. This small decision unexpectedly opened the door to international markets and became a pivotal milestone in the company's growth.
Everway soon discovered that sustainability was also a key requirement for entering the European market, where many countries have stringent environmental standards for product packaging. In response, the company converted all packaging to 100% plastic-free designs, verified by the international testing and certification body Bureau Veritas (BV).
The company also recognised the growing importance of the European Union's Digital Product Passport (DPP) initiative, which requires businesses to provide consumers with comprehensive product lifecycle information through data carriers such as QR codes. As Everway had already obtained GS1 HK barcodes, ensuring that every product carried a Global Trade Item Number (GTIN), the digital foundation was already in place. As a next step, the company adopted GS1 HK's Digital Product Passport solution.
Brian explained, “With global licensing rights in place, we printed globally compliant QR codes on our packaging - serving as an ‘international ID’ for every product. Even if a product is launched overseas months later, we can update information and multilingual content at any time, ensuring consumers worldwide have instant access to the latest details. Although the Digital Product Passport is not yet fully in force, our early adoption has already strengthened confidence among overseas clubs and partners in our compliance capabilities.”
Adapting Product Scale to Meet Changing Consumer Trends
Today, Everway is an official licensee for nearly 30 elite European clubs and national teams, including England, Italy, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Arsenal, Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea, and Tottenham Hotspur, while actively exploring new partnerships.
The company has also adapted its product strategy to keep pace with evolving consumer habits. Its initial offering centred on large all-in-one party boxes designed for gatherings of up to six people, such as the Liverpool FC Party Box, which featured a total of 75 pieces of party supplies and decoration items, including a 3D trophy balloon centrepiece, a stadium pattern tablecloth, and double-sided “You’ll Never Walk Alone” bunting and birthday banners. However, market response fell short of expectations. In response, Everway continuously refined its product mix, sizes, and formats, including ready-to-celebrate small gathering party boxes suitable for sale in large chain stores, and, more recently, “occasion pack” tailored to individual supporters.
"Our in-house design team ensures every product tells a story while meeting the standards required for official club approval. That is one of our key strengths.” explained Brian. Today, Everway’s products are sold not only through major overseas retail chains but also on e-commerce platforms such as Amazon and TikTok Shop. Brian recalled after Manchester City dropped points in a crucial Premier League match, Arsenal immediately became the Premier League champions, their party products achieved the remarkable result of selling out hundreds of boxes on Amazon within one hour.
With all products being officially licensed, Everway is required to provide proof of licensing authorisation when listing them on Amazon. The company must also submit food-contact safety certifications and product identity (i.e. barcodes) to meet the platform’s listing requirements.
New Products, New Opportunities
The company is actively developing new products to create fresh experiences. One of its latest initiatives is the collaboration with official licensees of UK football clubs, combining party sets with figurines of star players such as Erling Haaland, which have been sold through vending machines with encouraging results. The pop-up store at Kai Tak Mall attracted crowds of mainland Chinese tourists. “Mainland visitors valued our official licensing for quality and authenticity. We will continue to study local consumer behaviour while exploring new opportunities for growth.”
Beyond internationally recognised clubs such as Real Madrid, Barcelona, Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool, the company is actively exploring licensing opportunities with regional UK football clubs. Brian believes that, building a broader portfolio of regional club licences is key to winning the favour of leading large retail chain brands in the UK. These major retailers have store networks spanning the entire country, while regional clubs possess a stable and loyal fan base that regularly attracts tens of thousands of supporters to matches, giving the related official licensed products enormous market potential. Looking ahead, the company aims to collaborate with more brands and expand into new markets such as the Middle East and Japan.
From its early overseas expansion efforts in 2023, to securing licences from leading international football clubs and pioneering the adoption of Digital Product Passports, Everway has consistently stayed ahead of market trends. Reflecting on the company's journey, Brian said, “Taking a brand global is not about a single successful campaign. It is built on trust, earned day by day. Only by delivering quality products and honouring our commitments can we build lasting partnerships.”
