Roaring Success: Tigers Now No. 2 In MLB Merchandise Sales

Tigers Merchandise Flying Off Shelves With Return To World Series

MLB Senior VP/Licensing Howard Smith said that the Tigers, who defeated the A’s Saturday in the ALCS to advance to the World Series, have “blown past the [Yankees] in merchandise sales, moving up to the No. 2 spot behind the Mets,” according to Dorothy Bourdet of the DETROIT NEWS. Smith also predicts “a shortage of Tigers merchandise if the team wins the World Series.” Smith: “I believe, very strongly, if the Tigers win the World Series, we’re going to have a good problem on our hands.” Additionally, SportsOneSource data shows that sales of Tigers merchandise this season are up 200% from the year-ago period, and up 523% over the past four weeks. The number of items sold is up 775% in the past month. During the last four weeks, fans have spent $5.6M on merchandise, up from about $900,000 during the same time in ’05. SportsOneSource Marketing Dir Neil Schwartz said, “This is an indication of what we see when there has been a team that has not been in the playoffs for a while” (DETROIT NEWS, 10/16).

RETAILERS: Fanatic U store owner Greg Every, whose store in Garden City, Michigan, has seen a 500% rise in sales of Tigers merchandise from last year, said, “It’s like Christmas in October. People are just flying into the store.” Bourdet reports Fanatic U has set up a temporary store in Livonia, Michigan, which will remain open “at least through the end of the year” (DETROIT NEWS, 10/16). In Detroit, John Wisely reports D.B.T. Promotional Marketing Group printed about 10,000 ALCS championship T-shirts, with plans to print up to 80,000 more. The company prints the shirts for Majestic, which distributes them to stores. Lou Franklin, owner of a Kmart in Commerce Township, said, “I had calls five minutes after the game was over, wanting to know if we had the shirts yet” (DETROIT FREE-PRESS, 10/16).

REVIVAL: In a separate piece, the DETROIT NEWS’ Bourdet reports vintage Tigers memorabilia “is finding new legs of its own.” Tigers-related items being sold on eBay saw a 174% jump in the period from September 30-October 8 (DETROIT NEWS, 10/16).