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Merchandise sales expected to set new benchmark

It’s bigger and more posh than ever, and all the gold within should produce an unprecedented shimmer.

Sure, it’s Super Bowl 50, so the same might be said of nearly everything tied to the championship this week in San Francisco. This year’s licensed-product area at the NFL Experience will be the largest ever at more than 35,000 square feet, so it’s no surprise that league officials are forecasting that sales will surpass those of the New Jersey/New York Super Bowl, which established a benchmark in 2014.

“We’ll be disappointed if we don’t follow a record [sales] year with a record week in San Francisco and a record day Sunday in Santa Clara,” said Chris Halpin, NFL senior vice president of licensing and consumer products.

Aramark, handling the NFL Experience store for the second consecutive year, is shipping about 10,000 boxes of licensed products to its store in the Moscone Center West exhibition hall. More than 250 store employees (doubling last year) will be selling about 1,500 styles of product from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., in a store that opened Jan. 30 and will shutter Feb. 6, while touting 55 points of sale.

Majestic is among those getting in on the opportunity.
“We set a sales record last year that we plan on smashing this time,” said Aramark Sports & Entertainment President Carl Mittleman. Toward that end, Aramark’s NFL Shop at Super Bowl, Presented By Visa is looking to attract shoppers with player and celebrity autograph signings; concerts and fashion shows; a display of footballs designed by the likes of Kenneth Cole, Betsey Johnson, and Tiffany; cooking demonstrations by celebrity chefs; and tastings of Wine By Design’s NFL-licensed Super Bowl Fiftieth Reserve, a $100 Bordeaux-style meritage from vintner Freemark Abbey that will be sold at the store.

Fans can also customize products including jerseys, headwear, T-shirts, footballs, drinkware and denim jackets.

A VIP boutique in the NFL Experience shop will feature over-the-top gold products from NFL licensees, including 50 limited-edition Super Bowl gilded “50” caps from New Era, priced at $2,500, that might make you think they were game tickets. The caps are made from lambs leather and decorated with an 18-karat gold “SB 50” pin and packaged in a suede bag and a “collector’s box.”

Other high-end gold-dusted items made by licensees for the VIP boutique will include a Nike Destroyer jacket, gold Wilson footballs, one- and two-ounce commemorative gold coins from the Highland Mint and custom handbags from Anastasio Moda.

Here’s a mockup of a shirt from ‘47 Brand.
“It’s a once-every-50-year opportunity, so we’re making that color gold come alive,” said Leo Kane, NFL senior vice president of consumer products, who is working his 25th Super Bowl. “We’re looking at a slightly larger assortment [of generic Super Bowl products] than usual. Our ‘good’ product is better than normal, and the best is as good as we’ve ever seen.”

Another one of many New Era Super Bowl 50 cap exclusives is for $135, made in partnership with Levi’s, with distressed denim and a Levi’s tab. It is available only at the NFL Experience store, which will open with more than 12,000 pieces of headwear for sale.

In what is easily New Era’s largest Super Bowl activation since becoming an NFL sideline licensee in 2012, the company will also host a downtown “style lounge” targeting athletes and other influencers, present a Deion Sanders appearance and Q&A, and sponsor a Super Bowl eve party.

“We want to show that our brand transcends and combines sport and fashion,” said Ryan DiNunzio, New Era’s senior marketing manager for football. “We’re telling a story about men’s lifestyle, along with our sports and entertainment heritage, to bring licensed apparel out of just game-day wear and into everyday fashion wear.”

Nike is rolling out gold-accented footwear.
Nike will roll out performance and sport apparel collections, along with gold-accented footwear. At 9.5 ounces, the SB50 Vapor Untouchable 2 is being touted by Nike as its lightest football cleat ever and is expected to be worn by members of the Broncos and Panthers. Nike’s Vapor Jet 4.0 Super Bowl 50-logoed gloves complete the golden on-field ensemble and are available in black and gold or white and gold.

“The 50th theme has been resonating with retailers and the Bay [Area] market is a good mix of all levels of distribution, so there’s real opportunity across retail channels,” said VF Licensed Products President Jim Pisano, whose company offered 100 different graphics at the start of the NFL playoffs.

Legends, also expecting to establish sales records, is handling merchandise sales at a Super Bowl venue for the first time, in what can only be described as a tryout for future NFL championships.

“We want to showcase what Legends can do and set a [sales] record,” said Dan Smith, president of hospitality, noting Legends has administered venue sales for the World Series and the Indianapolis 500. Two 50-foot trailers outside the stadium will serve fans during the week. On game day, Legends and Facility Merchandising Inc. are commandeering the 49ers team shop at Levi’s Stadium while adding temporary retail locations to be serviced by 750 employees and feature 220 points of sale. An app will provide digital ordering, and tablets will allow the same in suites. Smith said there will be “the largest on-site product assortment of any Super Bowl,” including some exclusive merchandise.

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