EVERTON will kick off the 2009/10 season in working with a new retail partner.

The Goodison Park club is replacing former partner JJB with Kitbag.com, a leading online brand providing a wide range of branded sports products available to online consumers across the globe.

Kitbag.com already boasts e-commerce links with leading clubs like Manchester United, Barcelona, Real Madrid and now Everton.

The company has also worked with Everton on a complete overhaul of its stores and mail order operations and its online store.

Everton’s existing superstore, next to Goodison Park, is undergoing a month-long refurbishment throughout June and re-opening as Everton One.

Early in July, the club will open a new city centre site within the Liverpool One shopping complex, branded Everton Two.

Part of the stores’ revamp is the inclusion of supermarket-style check-outs and a faster shirt-printing service to speed up customer flow.

As a counterpoint to the latest retail technology within the stores, items from Everton’s world-renowned historical collection will also be on view to emphasise the club’s distinguished football pedigree.

And, as part of its new generation of online offering, Kitbag.com is introducing a “Click and Collect” service which will allow fans to select an item online and have it delivered the next day to either one of the stores or their own home.

The service is all part of Kitbag.com’s new online sales platform, evertondirect.com

The new partnership is set to start next week.

and Kitbag.com says its overhaul of Everton’s retailing operations, which it describes as “one of the most innovative football shopping web platforms in existence,” also represents the single biggest club partner capital investment in its history.