The NHL on Monday recorded its single biggest online sales day ever, drawing a 37% increase in purchases on Shop.NHL.com compared to last year's record-setting Cyber Monday. That figure compares favorably to the 8.5% year-over-year increase seen by retailers nationwide, according to IBM Digital Analytics Benchmark. The league on Sunday and Monday offered customers 25% off of purchases over $50. Alternatively, league sponsor Discover has been offering 20% off and free shipping to cardholders since last Wednesday, a promo set to end today. The Penguins’ new third jersey was a hot seller, with Sidney Crosby’s No. 87 sweater leading all items on Cyber Monday. Customized Rangers, Islanders and Kings home jerseys came in at Nos. 2-4, respectively, with Patrice Bergeron’s No. 37 Bruins home jersey rounding out the top-five best-selling products. The NHL also felt the effects of the "Ugly Sweater" craze in sports, with Forever Collectibles’ festive garments selling well. The Blackhawks, Rangers, Penguins, Bruins and Red Wings sold the most merchandise Monday. NHL VP/Consumer Products Licensing Dave McCarthy attributed the league's big sales day to the "confluence" of several marketing initiatives in the week leading up to Cyber Monday, including the release of its new NHL Shop catalog, the relaunch of its holiday TV spot, a Holiday Wish List campaign on Pinterest, Discover's NHL-themed float in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and a Pepsi-sponsored "Buy $20, Get $20" promotion in Canada.
TO THE VICTORS GO THE SPOILS: MLB.com Shop's five-day holiday weekend also saw record-setting sales. It offered a site-wide discount of up to 30% from Thursday to Sunday, and a "Buy One, Get One 50% Off" deal on Cyber Monday. The Giants, in the wake of their third World Series win in five years, had the best-selling merchandise on the site, with World Series MVP Madison Bumgarner's home No. 40 jersey -- complete with an official World Series patch -- ranking as the No. 3 best-selling player item. Bumgarner trailed only former MLBer Derek Jeter's No. 2 home jersey and "RE2PECT" t-shirt in total sales. The AL-champion Royals saw a huge sales jump, moving from the No. 21 best-selling team last year to No. 3 this year. The NBA, which offered shoppers 20% off purchases over $50, said it saw sales increase by double digits from last Cyber Monday. The five top-selling teams were the Cavaliers, Bulls, Warriors, Lakers and Thunder. NFLShop.com's most popular item was a green Seahawks knit cap from New Era, followed by Patriots QB Tom Brady's blue No. 12 jersey, Packers QB Aaron Rodgers' green No. 12 jersey, Giants WR Odell Beckham Jr.'s blue No. 13 jersey and an orange Broncos knit cap.
SERVICE GAINS: Leagues were not the only sports entity to see Cyber Monday gains. The ATP/WTA Western & Southern Open offered a 24-hour discount on its Court Cards, which are good for tickets, concessions and merchandise. The tournament sold $77,375 in card value, up 43% from last year. Customers placed a total of 375 orders.
MOBILE SALES UP BIG FOR NHL, MLB: Mobile sales on Cyber Monday increased 27.6% from '13 nationwide, according to IBM Digital Analytics Benchmark, but both the NHL and MLB saw even larger jumps. The NHL said it saw mobile sales increase 129% year-over-year, while MLB said it saw mobile sales increase 70%. MLB added that mobile sales accounted for 30% of all purchases over the weekend.
