DYNAMOS Football Club, who are undergoing a professional revolution, are putting in place stringent logistical requirements that will see them tapping all revenue streams into the club coffers..
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Club Chairman Isaiah Mupfurutsa confirmed that they are in the process of finalising some copyright issues which will give them absolute authority to own all club merchandise.
The Harare giants have since set up a stand-alone commercial division that will oversee and try to exploit all available income-generating channels, including the sale of merchandise.
The Glamour Boys, the country’s most-supported football club, haven’t been cashing in on their fan base as some enterprising people have, instead, filled that gap over the years.
By their admission, DeMbare have lost millions of dollars in potential revenue from the sale of merchandise over the years.
They have only been getting income from sponsorship, and gate takings, which is usually consumed by other costs, including stadium hire, as well as mandatory payments to ZIFA, PSL and other service providers.
But, the former champions who, of late, have been desperate to transform the way they run their club, seem to have awoken from their lengthy slumber.
“We have realised we have been losing a lot in potential revenue as we have not explored this avenue,” said Mupfurutsa.
“We have a bulging fan base yet we haven’t converted that loyalty into big business.
“What a business needs is loyalty first, and we have that but, we have lacked ways of harnessing all that into revenue.
“We have a five-year plan that runs between now and 2025 in which we are planning to transform the team into a mega-project.
“We are working on establishing a commercial division which will be responsible for driving our business. We are starting by establishing a good team with a sound junior policy and ensure we produce results, which is the prime factor that brings supporters to the club.
“We will, in the near future, partner big shops to sell our merchandise. We are setting up sound distribution channels to ensure that everyone, who needs a Dynamos piece, gets it.’’
He said vendors who sell counterfeit products with the team’s logos have been a threat to their enterprise over the years.
“Of course, those (vendors) have posed a huge threat, but we cannot entirely blame them as we have not been doing what we are supposed to do as a club,’’ he said.
“We have not been providing what our fans want and those vendors have merely moved in to fill that gap which we have created as a team.
“We have now opened our eyes and decided to establish ourselves in the business world. We know our fans are loyal and they will come in and support us.
Mupfurutsa said in the long run, the club will also partner other companies, and also ensure they have mobile shops, to cater for those who want to buy their merchandise at stadiums.