Liverpool legend Robbie Fowler has officially opened the club's new shop in Oslo. The former striker arrived at the ceremony in a traditional horse-drawn carriage with club mascot Mighty Red. It is Liverpool's second official retail outlet in Northern Europe.
The new shop is in the Paleet shopping centre in central Oslo and has opened in partnership with Unisport.
Fowler and Mighty Red cut the ceremonial ribbon and were the first to welcome fans. After the opening, visitors enjoyed a programme of activities, including a chance to meet the club legend, a question-and-answer session and photographs with the former striker.
The day before, Fowler also took part in a charity event organised with Liverpool's official supporters' clubs in Norway. The money raised went to LFC Foundation, the club's charity, which works to tackle social inequality.
Norway has nearly 800,000 Liverpool fans
According to the club, there are around 800,000 Liverpool supporters in Norway, making them the country's most popular Premier League team.
The combined television audience for Liverpool matches in Norway last season reached 3.5 million views, while the club's social media accounts have 1.4 million followers.
Liverpool have opened eight shops in a year
Liverpool's international retail network has expanded significantly over the past 12 months. The club have opened eight new shops, held six overseas kit launches, entered three new markets and begun working with two new retail partners.
Liverpool say they have the largest network of standalone branded shops of any sports club or franchise in the world.
Liverpool's senior vice-president of retail, Lee Dwerryhouse, commented on the opening:
We are delighted to open our new official shop in Oslo and give our loyal fans another opportunity to feel connected to the club.
The past 12 months have been fantastic for our international retail network. We have achieved record growth, opened new shops and entered new markets.
Opening the shop with our partner Unisport is another example of how we continue to expand our retail presence around the world.
The new shop stocks current Adidas collections, official Liverpool kit, casual clothing, accessories, exclusive products and club souvenirs.
