When it comes to the topic of buying the best soccer ball, there are a couple of things that a prospective customer would need to consider.
One of these factors is whether a person would want to buy a ball that already comes as deflated, or purchase one that’s fully inflated and ready for immediate use.
However, if you’re not familiar with this line of reasoning, you may be wondering if deflated soccer balls can be bought in the first place!
Which is why I chose to write this article and shed some light for readers.
So, I’ll start off by saying that the answer as to whether deflated soccer balls can be bought is in fact a resounding yes.
Soccer balls are sometimes shipped to customers in a flattened condition, as retailers try to save on transportation costs by lowering the storage space that these items take up in transit.
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Why are some soccer balls bought deflated?
There are two main reasons why a portion of businesses throughout the world sell soccer balls in a deflated form.
Read on to find out.
1. Shipping logistics
Consumer demand for soccer merchandise in general is just astronomical.
You only need to look at the financial numbers for soccer jersey sales to see just a glimpse of how big the market for soccer gear and accessories truly is.
For example, in the 2018-2019 soccer season, Manchester United sold 3,250,000 units of jerseys with Spanish juggernauts Real Madrid following closely behind them with them selling only 125,000 units fewer.
Now that you get the picture, translate that into distributors having to transport all the soccer balls that consumers want in order to satisfy the huge demand.
Therefore, to save space, soccer balls are shipped in a flattened state as this arrangement creates more cargo room.
A single deflated batch would likely hold a larger number of soccer ball units than a fully inflated batch would by comparison.
You’ve also got to take into account the fact that these soccer balls won’t constantly be in transit from the manufacturing plant all the way to the retail outlet.
This is because there will be occasions where warehouses are needed to temporarily store these packaged soccer balls before they find their way into the customer’s arms.
By deflating them, they would take up less overall packaging space in a stopover location.
2. Suitable gift packaging
With things like seasonal holidays (i.e. Christmas, Easter, thanksgiving, etc.) and birthdays, some consumers like to purchase items as gifts for other people.
If a soccer ball is the intended gift choice, it’s reasonable to send the item out in a deflated form.
Just picture a fully inflated soccer ball covered up in gift wrapping.
It would be a dead giveaway to the recipient what the gifted item is!
By purchasing the ball as deflated, buyers can convey that element of surprise as the beneficiary would have a hard time guessing what’s inside.
Where deflated soccer balls can be purchased
As I indicated earlier on in the article, there are a number of places where deflated soccer balls can be bought from.
Here’s a simple table that illustrates most of the common options available:
| Country | Store Name | Remarks |
|---|---|---|
| Global | Amazon.com | Great product variety and customer accessibility |
| Global | Nike.com | Premium price range |
| Global | Adidas.com | Premium price range |
| United States | Walmart | Budget friendly |
| United States | Target | Budget friendly |
| United Kingdom | Sports Direct | Mid range pricing |
Now you might find expensive soccer ball prices at some of the places highlighted above.
But ultimately, the amount of choice that a consumer has to purchase a deflated ball today has never been better.
How do you inflate a deflated soccer ball?
Now if you’re set on buying a deflated soccer ball; your soccer ball lost air over time or even if your soccer ball submerged in water and had to be drained, here’s an informative video that outlines exactly how you can inflate it back to its final form.
As you saw, the process is relatively straightforward.
Ultimately, the ball was inflated to the correct level by following the steps below in a chronological order:
- Finding the valve opening
- Inserting the pump needle
- Pumping the ball to the specified air pressure
- Bouncing it a couple of times to measure how well it has been inflated
Conclusion
This article was short but hopefully it served the purpose of explaining whether soccer balls can be bought in a deflated shape.
As you discovered…
Soccer balls can be bought in a deflated state from various online vendors or physical retail outlets that are local to the customer.
A pump with an accompanying inflation needle is simply inserted into the valve opening of the deflated ball, with air pressure subsequently inserted in order to transform the ball to its full spherical form.
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