The Golden Knights have formed a "decidedly offline experience" as their core merchandising strategy, according to Adam Candee of the LAS VEGAS SUN. It starts at the "photo-op armored knight statue a few feet inside the team's Armory retail shop at T-Mobile Arena." Highlight video "projected onto draped golden chainmail hovers over $115 fleece pullovers on the back wall." Dozens of hockey sticks "stand on their handles to form an eye-catching backdrop for a curved Golden Knights logo shield behind seven registers." Every conversation piece "intends to do just that: encourage the 500 fans who have visited the store each day since its opening a week ago to talk about the space and the swag." Golden Knights Senior VP & CMO Nehme Abouzeid said, "It’s critical because nowadays, retail’s not about pure commerce because you can buy product anywhere. It was important for us to have a fan experience that was very welcoming and very innovative." The team's plans to fight "downward trends using the unique emotional connection sports creates with fans." The team recently partnered with Levy Restaurants' Rank + Rally merchandise division to "design and operate The Armory." While the team also will "run an official shop" at McCarran Int'l Airport and a mobile truck, the 2,600-square-foot space at T-Mobile Arena "will determine much of the team’s bottom line in retail." Golden Knights President Kerry Bubolz said, "This stream, more than any other, is so closely aligned to the tickets that we sell." The Armory "opened last Monday," but Abouzeid "declined to provide preorder sales figures." However, he said that the numbers "track with the team's projections and the interest list received 'thousands' of submissions" (LAS VEGAS SUN, 6/30).
