Newcastle's seven-figure stadium upgrade and PSR bonus of Adidas deal after odd Castore terms

Newcastle United's new club shop has undergone a seven-figure transformation to deliver a 'world-class' retail experience for supporters.

The St James' Park store opened last week after Newcastle worked alongside Adidas to upgrade the outlet over the course of several months. The shop, which offers the largest range of kit and official product, now has an enhanced lay-out, four times the number of tills, three times the number of printing presses and an 'experiential zone' complete with a 10-metre steel replica of the Tyne Bridge and a huge 8K LED screen. It is all part of the club's aim to be the 'best in class' in the words of CEO Darren Eales.

"We're really excited about what we've managed to do here," he told the club's channels. "It's a world-class retail experience.

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"It's part of our journey. Everything we're doing in the club, like Stack, is to be best in class. This is just another example. Shout out to ownership and Adidas in terms of the investment this took. We're really excited for our supporters."

Newcastle's partnership with Adidas has enabled the Magpies to take control of their own retail and merchandising business for the first time in many years. This has never been more important as Newcastle look to boost revenues.

Newcastle previously had a curiously one-sided deal with Castore, dating back to the Ashley era, which granted the sportswear manufacturer exclusive production, sponsorship, retail and distribution rights for all club-licensed products and non-sports products. Newcastle did not even have the right to receive any sales royalty or sales data under the previous arrangement.