Trends in Plush and Toys at Sports Fan Stores

Sports fans love showing support for their favorite teams. Plush and other toys are one fun way to do just that. Whether as a keepsake, game day souvenir, collectible, or children’s toy, fans enjoy purchasing a wide range of these items.

At the Seattle Team Shop in Seattle, Wash., Assistant Store Manager Jacob Campbell said the approximately 400-square-foot store sells Foco brand plush. Foco is a top manufacturer of plush mascots and bobbleheads. Campbell noted that trends for top-selling items vary by season for the local teams, depending on what teams are playing. “We have small Seahawks and Mariners teddy bears, and medium plush teddy bears for the Huskies, Sounders, and Seahawks. Our largest plush animals are big monkeys, created for the Seahawks.”

For the summer, plush sales stay consistent, as they do throughout the year. “Toys are steady throughout the year. In the summer, our best-sellers at the store tend to be visors and sun hats.” To sell more plush merchandise, Campbell primarily relies on display. “For us, the main thing is placement in the store. We keep the plush items next to the register, so they are the last thing people see, and kids are always excited to see it, and always run to the display. Pricing however is high-end, which makes it a little more challenging as an impulse buy for parents.”

In West Allis, Wis., Amy Hunt , owner of the 4,000-square-foot Green & Gold Zone related that “Teddy bears, unicorns, and football-shaped plush toys sell the best for us. We sell the most of our plush merchandise around Christmas, but over all they do well all year long.” Because of those strong sales, she added, “We’re always looking for new items in plush, because they do so well for us.” Additionally, Hunt’s store also sells bobbleheads and team totem poles. “Plush is the best-seller for us though,” she reported.

Summer best-sellers? Hunt predicted the Wisconsin Brewers plush and toys will do quite well for the store. “We have some plush baseballs ordered that go well with our other Brewer items, and Brewer bobbleheads, and as far as I know those should be big for us. We

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Which Plush Pieces Sell Best?

Sports fan stores offer their take on what plush items appeal the most and sell best to customers.

At the Seattle Team Shop in Seattle, Wash., Assistant Store Manager Jacob Campbell said that “Our smallest teddy bear plush for the Seahawks is the item that sells the best for us.” The team itself, and the item’s price point, both drive sales on the smaller bear.

In West Allis, Wis., Amy Hunt, owner of the Green & Gold Zone, described what plush merchandise sells best for her store as “Teddy bears and unicorns that are roughly about 12-to-18 inches in size. That size is the sweet spot for those plush team items.”

At Sports Fanz in Hurricane,

W.V., General Manager and Head Buyer Chad Rogers related that plush blankets with teddy bear heads and arms, created for West Virginia-based teams, are his top seller when it comes to plush merchandise. Both cuddly and practical, they do especially well for the store in the fall. ❖