The Lightning are "opening a store" inside Tampa's Int'l Plaza shopping center on Friday morning, "just in time for Black Friday shoppers and the busy holiday shopping season," according to Justin Griffin of the TAMPA BAY TIMES. The 1,500-square-foot Tampa Bay Sports store will sell Lightning merchandise, "as well as jerseys, hats and other goods related to other Florida sports teams" like the Rays, Buccaneers, AFL Storm, Univ. of Florida, USF and Florida State. Lightning VP/Marketing Eric Blankenship said that the team has "operated kiosks in the past, but not in many years." Griffin noted this is the "second store the Lightning will operate with Delaware North." Blankenship said, "The mall makes a lot of marketing sense. ... That mall matters and that's why we're there." He added, "We're still a growing brand and we're looking for opportunities to continue to strengthen it. Having a presence in International Plaza will help us do that." Blankenship: "We sell the vast majority of our merchandise on game day in the arena. But now we have a location where foot traffic exists year round, so we can grow that" (TAMPA BAY TIMES, 11/21).
