Licensed Home Décor Merchandise at Sports Fan Stores

By Sara Karnish

Sports fans show their team loyalty at every opportunity. From apparel to items like decals and bumper stickers, to home décor, walk into the home of a sports superfan and there is no question where their devotion lies. Sports fan store retailers carry a variety of merchandise so fans can outfit a favorite room with team logos and colors. “Our top selling items are wooden signs, wall art, lamps, and flags,” said Lynn Berry, owner/operator/president of Picture This/OSU Sports Fans in Chillicothe, Ohio. “People are always decorating their fan cave, basement, or bedroom so we offer a large variety of distressed signs made out of barrels, wood, metal, and more. Flags are always a great seller—from 8-foot to garden and car flags, people like to show their [team] support everywhere they go.”

Mike Collins , customer service lead at Fastbreak Sports in St. Louis, Mo., said they have seen a tremendous surge in “fan sign” sales over the last year and a half. “Right now, a lot of the wooden signs are our big seller. Our closest team is the Chiefs, so signs that say ‘Kansas City Chiefs HQ’ or ‘Chiefs Kingdom’ sell well. This year was really big for decorating basements and fan caves with everybody staying home and re-doing their houses. We’ve had a lot of sales for signs specifying fan caves and teamoriented fans only,” he explained.

Besides signs and flags, Troy Scoma , president of Cactus Sports in Tempe, Ariz., said their best-sellers are “mini helmets, throws, magnets, clocks, and barware.” This gives fans plenty of opportunities to incorporate their team loyalty throughout their homes. Mary Lou Pallo , merchandise manager for the South Bend Cubs minor league baseball team in South Bend, Ind., said, “Glassware is our top home décor item. [It has a] median price point; [it’s a] good item for people who collect items from places they visit. [It’s a] good gift item. Coffee mugs are number one, followed by pint and shot glasses. We also do good business in ‘man cave’ signs—bar signs, wall décor, et cetera.”

When it comes to merchandising home décor, retailers agree visibility is key. It is espe-