An official pop-up store in downtown Vancouver selling FIFA World Cup merchandise is doing brisk business—but one notable omission has some customers balking. The 5,000-square-foot shop at Granville and Robson streets sells a variety of hats, bags and shirts, but none of the products have price tags. “Some of it’s cool but they don’t put the prices on because they don’t want you to know how much you’re spending until you get in line,” said one annoyed customer. “I don’t like it.” Shoppers can also ask employees how much the merchandise costs. Staff told CTV News hoodies are $100, T-shirts and bags range from $55 to $65, and hats are $55. Retail analyst David Ian Grey said the lack of proactive pricing disclosure that Canadians are accustomed to could be another example of “FIFA doing FIFA.” “They have a monopoly on this event and it’s their way or the highway,” he added. “It will just reinforce pre-existing suspicions people have about the customer care or integrity of FIFA.” The shop also currently has few Canada-specific products, despite featuring an entire wall of Portugal jerseys. Grey said FIFA will be making a “pretty big misfire if it doesn’t understand the importance of Canada to Canadians in this moment.” So far, nothing has emerged as a must-have item like the iconic red mittens from Vancouver’s 2010 Olympics.
