How Integrated Payments Fuelled a Silent Revolution in St Kilda Football Club’s Retail Game

Behind the scenes, St Kilda Football Club are constantly working to refine their operations. They’re striving to both grow and enhance the fan experience all while remaining connected to their community. 

For the Saints, embracing innovation has been key to achieving these goals. 

With the help of Lightspeed’s integrated payments, St Kilda Football Club has simplified its operations, streamlined match day transactions and unlocked new efficiencies that allow them to focus on what matters most: their members, their fans and their mission. Here’s how they did it.

Real-time payments, real-time results

In the fast-paced environment of professional sports, efficiency is paramount, and nowhere is this more evident than in St Kilda Football Club’s approach to streamlining match day and retail operations. As Stefan Valerio, Retail & Licensing Manager for the club, explains, Lightspeed’s integrated payments have been a game-changer.

“Capture those sales in live time…”

“Previously we didn’t have an integrated Eftpos solution at match day or our store. We’ve actually found it to make our match day and our store dealings really easy. To be able to capture those sales in live time, the ability with the Lightspeed terminal to be able to email a customer an invoice as opposed to print one, just cutting down on the wastage.”

The ability to process transactions in real-time and reduce waste with emailed invoices has not only simplified operations but also supported the club’s sustainability goals. 

“Previously with match day, we’d have to record all of our sales and then process them separately because the transactions weren’t all linked and going through live, so it really helped there.”

By eliminating manual steps and consolidating their sales data, St Kilda Football Club has unlocked new efficiencies that allow them to focus more on fans and less on admin.

Keeping pace with the match day rush

Match days at St Kilda Football Club are an event on a grand scale with thousands of fans in attendance. Resources are strained and internet connectivity can often falter under the load, but their POS has proven resilient in this demanding environment. 

“ It’s all done. It’s all live. It’s all settled to the bank, there’s no delay.”

“A match day, where it’s kind of like if you go to a music festival, let’s say, and you’ve got 25,000, 30,000 people really close together, and you’re all trying to use your phone at one time. Internet can be a bit fishy, but we work through all of that and it’s actually been a massive benefit because we can just go in trade. It’s all done. It’s all live. It’s all settled to the bank, there’s no delay.”

The ability to process transactions in real-time, without interruptions or lag, ensures the day can run smoothly and allows the club to deliver a seamless match day experience for the fans.

From days to minutes

Beyond simplifying match day operations, Lightspeed’s integrated payments have brought significant efficiencies to The Saint’s back-office processes, the seamless flow of information helping to streamline their financial operations: 

“All that information flows to the back end, so our accounts and finance team can actually go in and see that day—see the terminals. There’s not a big overlay period in terms of actually settling with the bank.” 

The faster settlement process, compared to the 2-3 day wait with their previous provider, has not only reduced delays but also freed up valuable time for the finance team. 

“That time saved is pretty invaluable really.”

Flexibility in action

For a versatile operation like St Kilda Football Club’s, having a retail POS system that adapts to multiple channels is essential, and Lightspeed has proven to be an ideal fit. 

“A centralised system.”

“Lightspeed is definitely one of the best retail POS systems available. For us, it really helps for an omnichannel retail type of business like we have. We have a brick-and-mortar store, we have to do pop-up events externally for match day and we’re running our own e-commerce channel. I find it to be really helpful, like a centralised system.”

The flexibility of the system becomes even more apparent when accommodating the diverse locations where the club operates. 

“We had a game in Tasmania this year, we have our AFL games here at RCA Park, so we have some satellite setups around the actual venue.”

Whether hosting a match in country Victoria or setting up for a pre-season fixture in any number of regional locations, Lightspeed’s adaptability allows St Kilda to seamlessly move their operations to any venue. This means consistency and efficiency, no matter where the game takes them.

Building a legacy on and off the field

Looking ahead, St Kilda Football Club has ambitions to solidify their position as a powerhouse in the AFL community. 

“In terms of the future, we want to continue to grow our member base, to really establish our heartland here in the south of Melbourne, and Victoria and across the country. We’d love to expand our member base to over 80,000 members, potentially even higher and really get up there with the bigger clubs.”

These aspirations extend beyond membership, encompassing their online and retail operations as well. 

“We actually tend to rank in the top 8 amongst a lot of teams on some key metrics in terms of online sales,” Stefan explains, “but similar to our ambitions around membership, we’d like to go to that next echelon and be up there with the likes of Carlton and Collingwood.” 

But St Kilda Football Club is more than just a team; it’s a cornerstone of its community, with a deep commitment to making a positive impact. 

“I think footy clubs play a big role in their direct regions and impacting the community around them, and we’re no different in that sense.” 

The club’s involvement spans a wide range of programs, from school holiday activities and children’s clinics to underage teams like the Sandy Dragons and partnerships with the Southern Junior Football Netball League. St Kilda also leads the way in inclusion and support, offering initiatives such as women’s programs, Next Gen Academy programs, and Saints Play, which provides opportunities for disadvantaged children and those with disabilities to participate in sports.

“We’ve got a lot of those connections in the local area and are branching out into the further community in regards to health and wellness, community involvement in sport, and participation.”

Through these efforts, the club continues to build strong ties with its local region while expanding its reach to inspire and engage people across Victoria and beyond.

St Kilda Football Club & Lightspeed

​​St Kilda Football Club’s journey with Lightspeed has shown how the right tools can transform operations and support big ambitions. 

From real-time transactions on bustling match days to streamlining financial processes and powering an omnichannel retail strategy, Lightspeed has helped The Saints save time, reduce waste and focus on what matters most: their fans and community

As the club looks to the future, aiming to grow its membership base and strengthen its position in the AFL, these operational efficiencies will play a key role in their success. With a foundation built on innovation and connection, St Kilda is armed with the tools to tackle any challenge that comes their way.