With national professional sports leagues once again playing games in arenas and stadiums throughout the country, and with the majority of the national mindset seemingly more than ready to put lockdowns and quarantining on the back burner, there is a newfound joy and confidence with once again watching and rooting for favored teams. This was especially evident during the jam-packed Super Bowl turnout in Los Angeles this past February, even in spite of California’s national state of emergency due to fluctuating cases of COVID.
Thanks to this renewed enthusiasm for the return of professional sports, national sports theme retailers are continuing to expand their presence throughout the nation, and even internationally.
Lids, the sports merchandise retailer that has a huge presence in malls throughout the country, is especially eager to continue to cater to the nation’s thirst for all things sports. Expect smaller sized spaces in busy locations to be targeted for further growth.
“We love to be in high foot traffic mall and street locations,” said Sean McCabe, the vice president of corporate development and strategy for Lids. “About 20% of our portfolio is out of malls in street and entertainment venues, while the rest, 80%, is in the malls. The interesting thing about Lids is it can fit, and thrive, in the weird funky spaces that other retailers can’t merchandise.”
As the relaxed clothing fad continuing to dominate in the country, especially in light of continued work-from-home practices, Lids has especially benefited by being an affordably-priced sartorial option for this laid-back customer.
“Our company is now a fashion company rather than just a place that people can celebrate their teams,” McCabe said. “Our targeted demographic is an 18- to 35-year-old who is a fashion and sports consumer. We still serve fans of all sports, but the transition into the fashion space has really elevated the brand domestically and created a path for our stores internationally.”
