With a player strike unlikely, retailers are "gearing up" to
sell MLB licensed men's apparel, according to DNR, a daily
fashion trade journal. Retailers say the best-selling teams vary
by region, with Braves' licensed merchandise described as "hot"
and the Mariners and Indians also "strong-sellers." JCPenney
started its MLB push two weeks prior to the start of the season.
Cleveland is their "hottest" market for apparel, which Penney
officials attribute to the success of the Indians. Mariners,
Braves, Orioles, and Rockies merchandise are also strong sellers.
Penney carries merchandise regionally, with only Braves products
distributed nationally. Strong selling items include caps,
jerseys and t-shirts. Sportmart officials say MLB merchandise
sales are "up considerably over last year." Donald Goldblatt,
Senior Buyer of licensed apparel for Sportmart, noted that while
the Bulls are the "main thing" in Chicago, MLB is the "main
sport" in other cities. He adds, "We try to do everything as
regionally as possible and baseball is the most regional of all
the major league sports, with the exception maybe of hockey."
Caps and replica jerseys are the leading categories at Sportmart.
Birmingham, AL-based Hibbett Sporting Goods also says MLB
merchandise sales have picked up. The Braves are the strongest
selling team, but Hibbett Buyer Jeff Taggart says player-specific
merchandise is also selling well, with ken Griffey Jr. on top
(Rachel Spevack, DNR, 4/9 issue).
NEW UMP TOGS: Logo Athletic GM Eddie White told THE DAILY
that they are "still in discussions" about merchandising the new
umpire jerseys. He said both Logo and MLB have been "surprised"
by the number of calls received about the new-look jerseys. He
notes the biggest hurdle is finding a way to make an affordable
product. The jerseys are made from a special DuPont material
that would be expensive to mass produce. MLBP spokesperson Carol
Coleman noted the caps will be available this summer (THE DAILY).
