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Brands & Merch Business News
Backstreet launches new hub in Berlin to help tackle Brexit merch challenges
By Chris Cooke | Published on Tuesday 12 April 2022
While the debate around the impact of Brexit on British musicians has mainly focused on the permits, carnets and other paperwork that artists may now need as they, their crew and their kit enter different EU countries, there are other bureaucratic challenges to meet too, including around merchandise.
With that in mind, London-based merch company Backstreet International has opened a new European hub in Berlin which will provide the same services at its UK base, but will help remove some of the barriers artists now face when selling merchandise to European fans, especially when they are touring in EU markets.
The merch firm explains that its new German operation “has been created to alleviate the significant trade issues created by Brexit and will provide artists touring in Europe with local production giving a faster turnaround, no VAT restrictions, no customs challenges, lower shipping rates, faster delivery times, lower carbon emissions and chart registration in multiple EU countries”.
The company’s founder Andy Allen adds: “Our new office in Berlin reflects what we have built in the UK and US over the last three decades and is a continuation of the options we provide our clients from a sustainable range of products wherever they are in the world”.
“The trade issues surrounding Brexit have caused chaos to artists touring in mainland Europe”, he goes on, “and our mission is to help alleviate those problems while providing that badge of honour that a fan can wear to demonstrate a strong connection with artists who have real meaning for them. The clients we work with now have an experienced team on the ground in Germany who they can deal with directly and it’s an exciting new phase for our company”.
