LIDS Hat Blog

LIDS Sports Group, NFL Gear Up for Super Bowl XLVII Retail Experience

-- Company to operate the 30,000 square foot NFL SHOP at Super Bowl Presented by Visa --
-- Pop up location will offer shop-in-shop elements as well as interactive fan activities --

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind., January 22, 2013 – LIDS Sports Group, the Indianapolis-based operator of the North American LIDS retail chain, in collaboration with the National Football League, is pleased to announce its plans for this year’s NFL Experience Driven by GMC concessions business – the NFL SHOP at Super Bowl Presented by Visa. In an innovative spin on the traditional concept for this venue, the retailer has switched gears to focus on creating a fan destination for Super Bowl-goers to include the industry’s latest offerings in product customization and entertainment features. The 30,000 square foot pop up shop will be open to the public from January 25 through February 4, 2013.

“We are truly excited for this opportunity to make a statement of how our retail game plan is constantly evolving, and to showcase that we are able magnify what we do every day in our more than 1,000 LIDS and LIDS Locker Room locations to meet Super Bowl fan expectations for years to come,” said LIDS Sports Group President Ken Kocher.

“This is another example of our determination to prove LIDS Sports Group is a major stakeholder in more than just the headwear category.” The specialty retailer and all-inclusive team sports dealer, primarily known for its headwear stores, has been recently fueling its growth through a more localized, team-specific storefront banner with product selections such as jerseys, fan apparel and team-branded novelty items.

“In looking for a world class leader to help us achieve our retail objectives for the NFL Experience in New Orleans, LIDS’ offerings and willingness to push the envelope to provide a unique fan experience stood out – as is evident in their expanding event retailing efforts,” said Leo Kane, NFL senior vice president of consumer products. “We are excited to work with LIDS to deliver to our fans more ways to celebrate their teams and Super Bowl XLVII.”

The NFL Experience shop will offer sports enthusiasts a wide variety of officially licensed Baltimore Ravens, San Francisco 49ers and Super Bowl XLVII apparel and memorabilia, ranging from the latest fashion trends to on-field gear.

Key NFL SHOP at Super Bowl Presented by Visa retail elements and logistics:

- Player Appearances and Celebrity Interaction Opportunities

- Interactive Features: XBOX Gaming Area, Tailgate Toss, Fathead Photo Booth, and Fitted Test

- LIDS Custom Zone: Custom Embroidery, Custom Screen Printing on Jerseys, Special Event Patches, Personalized Key Chains and Custom Photo Souvenir Footballs

- Limited Edition Product Offerings – Limited Quantities

- Shop-in-Shop Partners: Nike, New Era, G-III and Touch by Alyssa Milano, Fathead, Tervis Tumblers, EA Sports, Mitchell & Ness and ’47 Brand

- NFL SHOP at Super Bowl Presented by Visa hours of operation will be: 
    Date                                                                     Hours of Operation 
    Friday, Jan. 25 through Sunday, Jan. 27             10:00 AM to 7:00 PM 
    Monday, Jan. 28 through Tuesday, Jan. 29         CLOSED
    Wednesday, Jan. 30 through Saturday, Feb.2    10:00 AM to 10:00 PM 
    Sunday, Feb. 3                                                     8:00 AM to 3:00 PM 
    Monday, Feb. 4                                                     8:00 AM  to 2:00 PM


Additionally, LIDS Sports Group will manage other prime locations under the NFL SHOP at Super Bowl Presented by LIDS retail banner in the greater New Orleans area – the French Quarter, Riverwalk, and NFL host hotels – to satisfy customer demand throughout the city leading up to this NFL season’s championship game.


ABOUT LIDS SPORTS GROUP
The LIDS Sports Group, operating within Hat World, Inc., is comprised of the LIDS retail headwear stores, the LIDS Locker Room specialty fan retail chain, the LIDS Clubhouse retail stores, the LIDS Team Sports wholesale team sports business, and the Internet businesses www.lids.com, www.lidslockerroom.com, wwwlidsclubhouse.com, www.lidsteamsports.com and www.lids.ca. Operating out of Indianapolis, Indiana, the retail businesses make up more than 1,000 mall-based, airport, street level and factory outlet locations nationwide, and in Canada and Puerto Rico. LIDS retail stores offer officially licensed and branded headwear of collegiate teams, major professional sports teams, as well as other specialty fashion categories in the latest styles and colors. LIDS Locker Room is a mall-based retailer of sports headwear, apparel, accessories, and novelties which also operates under the Sports Fan-Attic and Sports Avenue retail concepts. Most LIDS and LIDS Locker Room stores also offer custom embroidery capability. LIDS Clubhouse operates team-specific professional sports and university athletics retail stores and e-commerce sites. LIDS Team Sports is a full-service team uniform and apparel dealer, custom screen printer, embroidery and sporting goods distributor. Hat World, Inc. is a subsidiary of Genesco Inc.


Twitter – @LIDS4Hats   @LIDSPR   #LIDSSBXLVII     
LIDS Mobile – Text LIDSSB47 to 477493 for Super Bowl XLVII Offers

LIDS Team Sports Official Uniform Supplier of East-West Shrine Game

Sporting Goods Distributor Continues Sponsorship with 88th College Football All-Star Match Up

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind., January 17, 2013 – LIDS Team Sports, a team apparel and equipment dealer operating within all 50 states and a business unit of Indianapolis-based LIDS Sports Group, has extended its sponsorship agreement as the official uniform supplier for the 2013 East-West Shrine Game®. The nation’s longest-running all-star football game will take place Saturday, January 19, at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla.

LIDS Team Sports is providing uniforms as well as practice and travel gear for this year’s participants. The two team rosters include a combination of 115 premier collegiate athletes, representing more than 50 academic institutions across the country.

“We are pleased to yet again be a part of the annual East-West Shrine Game, which is a nice alignment of the nation’s best in college football and the efforts of Shriners Hospital – a cause worthy of the support generated by this association,” said LIDS Team Sports Executive Vice President Matt Geske. “For the players involved, many of whom will advance to the NFL, this game not only provides the opportunity to showcase their athleticism but a chance to truly hone in on their passion to give back.”

The game will again benefit the 22 Shriners Hospitals in the United States, Canada and Mexico which provide state-of-the-art medical treatment to children in need regardless of their ability to pay. A 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, Shriners provides advanced care for youth patients with orthopedic conditions, burns, spinal cord injuries and cleft lip and palate.

“This event is truly ‘More than just a game.’ It’s about creating lasting relationships that breathe new life to our philanthropic mission – be it players, coaches, spectators or suppliers,” said Executive Director of the East-West Shrine Game Harold Richardson.

The 2013 East-West Shrine Game will be broadcast on the NFL Network at 4:00 p.m. EST. Visit www.shrinegame.com for more information.

ABOUT LIDS TEAM SPORTS
LIDS Team Sports is a full service team dealer, custom screen printer, embroidery and sporting goods operator based in Indianapolis, Indiana, and a division of Hat World, Inc. Hat World is a niche mall-based retailer of baseball caps and team fan shops operating primarily under the LIDS retail brand. LIDS Team Sports was founded in 2009 and is made up primarily of regional team dealers Anaconda Sports (Lake Katrine, New York), the former Brand Athletics (Tigard, Oregon), and the former Impact Sports (Madison, Wisconsin). What began as a modest 10-state sales territory in 2009 now spans 50 states today. The company provides all-inclusive institutional sporting goods to a broad range of customers throughout the United States, including colleges and universities, high schools, corporations, and youth organizations. The business offers a diverse selection of products – jerseys, warm-ups, fleeces, polo shirts, jackets, t-shirts, shorts, shoes and other team uniform sportswear and a complete line of sporting equipment – and services such as team fundraising support. The company also operates the Internet sites www.lidsteamsports.com and www.anacondasports.com, in addition to a LIDS Team Golf division and a catalog business. For more information, one can visit lidsteamsports.com or call (800) 644-4481.

ABOUT LIDS SPORTS GROUP
The LIDS Sports Group, operating within Hat World, Inc., is comprised of the LIDS retail headwear stores, the LIDS Locker Room specialty fan retail chain, the LIDS Clubhouse retail stores, the LIDS Team Sports wholesale team sports business, and the Internet businesses www.lids.com, www.lidslockerroom.com, wwwlidsclubhouse.com, www.lidsteamsports.com and www.lids.ca. Operating out of Indianapolis, Indiana, the retail businesses make up more than 1,000 mall-based, airport, street level and factory outlet locations nationwide, and in Canada and Puerto Rico. LIDS retail stores offer officially licensed and branded headwear of collegiate teams, major professional sports teams, as well as other specialty fashion categories in the latest styles and colors. LIDS Locker Room is a mall-based retailer of sports headwear, apparel, accessories, and novelties which also operates under the Sports Fan-Attic and Sports Avenue retail concepts. Most LIDS and LIDS Locker Room stores also offer custom embroidery capability. LIDS Clubhouse operates team-specific professional sports and university athletics retail stores and e-commerce sites. LIDS Team Sports is a full-service team uniform and apparel dealer, custom screen printer, embroidery and sporting goods distributor. Hat World, Inc. is a subsidiary of Genesco Inc.