SPOTLIGHT ON LOGO AND LICENSED MERCHANDISE Trends in Logo and Licensed Apparel at College Stores

When it comes to logo and licensed apparel at college stores, school spirit is going strong across varied price points, with some constants in terms of which merchandise sells best.

At Dakota State University’s Trojan Zone store, interim Director Donna Fawbush said that her best-sellers vary by style. “It’s tough to say what is the best-selling item, because sometimes people fall in love with a logo or the artwork on an item that is a little pricier than what you think would sell so well, or just something unexpected.” That said, she added, “Overall, our more value-added items, sweats, and T-shirts, move more quickly and in more volume. But again, which one sells best specifically depends on both what the item is and what the artwork looks like.”

To sell more licensed and logo apparel, Fawbush relies on social media and an online store to promote items even more so than in-store displays. “We do both an all-student and all-staff email blast too, and I would say that is our primary form of communication and promotion.”

She described her highest end items as Under Armor apparel such as a performance hood or jacket. “Those items do sell well for us regardless of price, because quality does count.” On the lower end of the

“We sell a lot of basics. Our best-sellers are always basic T’s and hoodies, but we are seeing an uptick in crew sweats again, too. In sizing, we sell a lot of oversize items and retro-looking logos right now. People are going for a simple and old-fashioned look.” pricing scale, she said “T-shirts sell best, but we also try to include a value-added sweatshirt in our inventory as well. You really need to have a variety of price points for students. The value-added prices always sell very well.”

- Sarah Crockett, Western Oregon University, Monmouth, Ore.

In Monmouth, Ore., at Western Oregon University’s store, Merchandise and Book Buyer Sarah Crockett related that “We sell a lot of basics. Our best-sellers are always basic T’s and hoodies, but we are seeing an uptick in crew sweats again, too. In sizing, we sell a lot of oversize items and retro-looking logos right now. People are going for a simple and old-fashioned look.”

To sell more of this merchandise, Crockett said display in the 2,600-square-foot store is key. “We also use some email blasts, but primarily what we most focus on is keeping our displays fresh in the store. We also tend to give out coupons for students who are buying books here. Those coupons can be used on apparel merchandise, and that always brings an uptick in sales, too.”

Her best-selling higher end items are “Expensive jackets. Our customers will spend money on a nice jacket. I believe the jackets sell well because it rains a lot here, and they need their jackets,” she laughs. Looking at the more inexpensive items that the store carries, Crocket said the most popular is a “Basic T-shirt that’s has a simple, licensed logo. The cost is under $20.”

Donna Huebner , store manager at Occidental College in Los Angeles, Calif., explained that “Because we are a college bookstore, T-shirts and sweatshirts sell the best for us overall. Those are just the kinds of items that people want. We offer them in a variety of price points.” The most expensive items that the store sells are “High end jackets. They do not sell that well for us though, because it really doesn’t get that cold here in Southern California. We carry them mainly for alums who live elsewhere in the country where it’s cooler, and they may want to buy one. Here locally, they don’t move.” She noted, “Our lowest cost items are socks and hats. Sock sales go up and down by year, they’re not as good for us now as they were a few years ago. Hats always do well for us, I think that is also due to our location. Because of the California sun, people are always trying to shade their eyes.”

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