Retailers Seeing High Demand For Florida Championship Gear
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UF Memorabilia, Such As
Hats, Selling Fast In Florida |
Hours after the Univ. of Florida defeated the Univ. of Oklahoma in the BCS National Championship game, UF fans "got up bright and early Friday morning to look for national championship clothing and memorabilia," according to Brenda Eggert Brader of the Winter Haven NEWS CHIEF. Customers "were waiting in line before the doors opened" at the Proud Gator store in Lakeland, Florida, and employees at other area sporting goods stores had "constant inquiries for Gator souvenirs." Proud Gator Owner Karen Carper said, "We had a waiting line at the door at 7:30 a.m. and we opened at 8:30 a.m." Carper said that the store was "getting T-shirts from [its] Orlando supplier all day long Friday." She added that the store is "'hunting for anything Gator' while picking up more T-shirts in Orlando." Carper said that different national championship items "will be coming in in the next couple of weeks." She said that while "simple items can be quickly manufactured and delivered to retailers," items such as "mugs, glasses and emblems on pewter mugs take more time, and those items are too expensive to gamble on with orders and make in advance" (Winter Haven NEWS CHIEF, 1/10). Scott Smith, manager of a Lakeland, Florida, The Sports Authority location, said that his store had "almost sold out of championship merchandise" by 3:00pm ET Friday. In Florida, Sarah Stegall reported official locker room T-shirts and other championship apparel "have been the biggest sellers" at Proud Gator (Lakeland LEDGER, 1/10).
GATOR BAIT: In Daytona Beach, Ray Weiss reported Florida-based Hot Action Sportswear "hit the jackpot" with UF's win, as "about 35 employees, including office workers, had worked through the night printing, folding and packing between 20,000 and 30,000 officially licensed championship T-shirts bound for Walmart stores throughout Florida." But Weiss noted the "demand for championship shirts could be lower this time because fewer Walmart stores made orders" (Daytona Beach NEWS-JOURNAL, 1/10).
A HIGHER CALLING: In Gainesville, Erin Everhart reported Gainesville's Trinity United Methodist Church designed a T-shirt inspired by the "Phil 4:13" Bible reference UF QB Tim Tebow often wore on his eye black this season that is "one of the few Christian Gator shirts among the masses." The idea "materialized as an orange T-shirt with a football helmet and the 'Phil 4:13' smudges on the front and the Bible verse on the back." The church ordered 400 of the shirts in early October and sold out "by the 11 a.m. worship." The church is now "on the brink of breaking 2,000 shirts sold." The T-shirts sell for $10 each and "are bringing in a $4 profit each for the church." While the "original plan was to send the proceeds to Tebow's parents' mission in the Philippines, the University Athletic Association prohibits them from making money off their son's football career," so the profits are "filtered back into Trinity's mission outreach" (GAINESVILLE SUN, 1/8).
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