How Manchester City is building a connected commerce foundation for the next fan experience

• Stadium Tour journey: A more intuitive booking path designed to reduce steps from discovery to purchase.
• Availability and choice: Real-time visibility of tour availability, with the ability to add products such as guidebooks and photographs during booking.
• Simpler purchase: A guest checkout option and a more joined-up basket across the tour and related products.
• Future flexibility: A composable foundation designed to connect new experiences without disrupting live operations.

Manchester City’s digital commerce products and experiences have developed across multiple areas over time. Fans could encounter separate journeys, platforms, and checkout processes depending on what they wanted to buy or book. This could make the experience feel disconnected and limit the Club’s ability to understand the supporter journey as a whole.

The ambition was not to replace every existing system at once. It was to move from fragmented transactions toward a more connected, always-on digital relationship with fans - one that could evolve without disrupting live operations.

The Club needed more than a technology supplier. It needed a partner that could collaborate, integrate with existing systems, support future development, and adapt the commerce experience to Manchester City’s requirements.

“We are proud to partner with VTEX as we further strengthen our position through implementing leading technology. We are looking forward to harnessing VTEX’s cutting-edge technologies as we further integrate fans’ commerce experiences and bring new possibilities to our global commerce operation.”

The Stadium Tour experience was selected as an early opportunity to demonstrate the value of connected commerce. A supporter booking a tour is not simply completing a transaction. They are planning a visit, considering additional products, and engaging with a key part of the Manchester City brand.

The team set out to create a journey that was simpler, faster, and more intuitive for the fan, while reducing operational complexity and creating more relevant conversion opportunities for the business. The new journey was designed around several clear principles:

• Reduce the number of steps between discovery and purchase.
• Give fans real-time visibility of available tour options.
• Allow related products, including guidebooks and photographs, to be added during booking.
• Offer a guest checkout option.
• Bring the tour and its additional products into a more joined-up experience.

The approach aligns with the partnership’s publicly stated ambition: enabling fans to select Manchester City experiences through a single, efficient checkout, whether online or on mobile.

VTEX’s composable approach allowed Manchester City to build on its existing technology estate while introducing new capabilities where they added value. Rather than forcing a wholesale replacement, the program could connect different components into a more unified commerce experience and develop in phases.

This was essential for a global organization operating at a significant scale. The team needed to protect live operations, navigate the complexity of existing systems, and still deliver a successful first experience. Manchester City, VTEX, and the wider technology and operational teams worked together around a shared understanding of both fan and business objectives.

The first phase focused on the Stadium Tour journey and its add-ons. Publicly, VTEX describes the launch as a unified purchase flow that integrates the tour journey with related products, focusing on speed, reliability, and seamless integration across bookings and commerce.

The first phase has delivered clear improvements to the booking experience: fewer steps, real-time availability, add-on functionality, and guest checkout. Just as importantly, it has established a practical way of working - a phased model that brings the right stakeholders together, reduces risk, and creates a foundation for continuous improvement.

For fans, the goal is straightforward. A supporter should be able to discover, select, and purchase related products or experiences through one intuitive journey, without re-entering information or navigating between disconnected platforms. For the business, a more unified view of interactions can support better planning and a more informed understanding of how supporters engage across experiences over time.

This is not a one-time storefront project; it is a commerce foundation that can evolve as Manchester City develops new experiences and responds to changing supporter expectations.

“One of the things that we really liked about VTEX when we were going through our selection process was exactly that - you saw your successes as linked to ours. You wanted to support our brand, but help us get better at commerce. And I think that sort of chemistry provides for a shared vision.”

The next opportunity is to extend the connected commerce model beyond Stadium Tours into the wider Etihad Campus and associated entertainment experiences. Potential areas include events, food and beverage, stadium and venue experiences, and Medlock Square.

The City Football Group team is looking forward to “continuing our work with the Club and exploring further opportunities to streamline services using VTEX technology”.

Discover how VTEX Fan Experience & Hospitality helps sports organizations create connected digital experiences across the entire fan journey.

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