The founder of online shoe retailer Zappos and a minority Warriors owner has opened three Bay Area apparel stores since the fall in an attempt to "extend the franchise's retail brand beyond Oracle Arena," according to Ron Leuty of the S.F. BUSINESS TIMES. Zappos Founder Nick Swinmurn started Dunk Contest LLC, which has an "online presence that went live recently hawking gear such as $60 hoodies and $35 T-shirts as well as hats, jerseys and jackets." Dunk Contest is "assisted by the Warriors, who get a share of store profits." Swinmurn last year "received a two-year 'local license' from the NBA, a rare deal that blocks many of Dunk Contest's online products from being shipped more than 150 miles from Oracle Arena." The store offers a "mix of exclusive Dunk Contest lines -- including 'Super Villains,' born out of a reporter's nickname for the team after picking up [F Kevin] Durant as a free agent in the off-season -- and Warriors-licensed products." Warriors Senior VP/Business Development Brandon Schneider said that the team has seen online retail sales "climb hundreds of percentage points higher in the past 18 months, compared to the previous 18-month period," and in-arena sales are up more than 100%. Schneider said that the "'edgier' products resonate with a consumer segment that traditional brands haven't hit before," and even those "who don't know exactly what they're buying." The Warriors allow Dunk Contest the use of "trademarks and logos," and in return promote the stores online and through social (BIZJOURNALS.com, 2/15).
