BRANDWEEK's Terry Lefton and the SPORTSBUSINESS
JOURNAL's Andy Bernstein both profile the re-launch of the
Starter brand, whose parent company, Starter Corp., filed
for bankruptcy protection in April of '99, but was acquired
by a group of investors led by OH-based Schottenstein Stores
Corp. Lefton writes that when Starter's "once-familiar 'S'
and star logo" began "inexplicably appearing on the outfield
walls" at eight MLB parks early this season, "some thought
they were just old signs that hadn't been removed." But
Starter was being "re-launched as a branded sports apparel
line" at Wal-Mart and Kmart. Lefton adds that "as a mass
brand," Starter is "on track to exceed sales of the brand's
best years." NJ-based Elite Sports Owner Michael Lewis,
"the man directing the marketing" of the re-launch, said
that the brand will "achieve sales in excess" of $140M in
2000 and projects $300M-plus in 2001. Lefton: "Since most
consumers don't know Starter went bankrupt, it has powerful
cachet at mass." NFLP Senior Dir of Retail Development Rick
Platt added, "There just aren't many meaningful athletic
brands at mass, so the Starter name really jumps out as a
brand to their consumers, who have been conditioned to look
for big names selling at a discount" (BRANDWEEK, 10/23
issue). Bernstein reports, "All the professional leagues
have declined to relicense Starter, once the No. 1 producer
of team licensed products." But Lewis added licensing is
"not our No. 1 thrust anymore. Starter is now in active
athletic branded apparel." Bernstein writes that instead of
being a licensee to pro sports leagues, the "new incarnation
of Starter is as a licensor itself, granting rights" to its
logo to about 30 apparel and accessories companies who sell
Starter-branded products to discount chains. But Starter is
"not completely done with team licensed products," as it is
"mounting a modest return by securing narrowly defined"
licensing deals with the Collegiate Licensing Co. (CLC) and
"most of its top schools." The CLC move is "backed" by a
sponsorship of a NASCAR Busch Series car around "more than a
dozen" universities (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 10/23 issue).
