Lids U will serve as a one-stop shop for local college gear with offerings specific to each market it opens in
INDIANAPOLIS, July 25, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Now a leader in sporting goods retail Lids announced the launch of Lids University (Lids U), a new retail concept dedicated to college athletic products and apparel. Created as a space for fans to shop for merchandise from their favorite schools, Lids U stores will open in major college markets and serve every local community in which they are located.
Lids U was developed in response to loyal Lids consumers seeking more NCAA merchandise from the retailer. The new concept will feature a strong assortment of NCAA merchandise with a curated selection of headgear, apparel and accessories from local, regional and national college and university teams. Lids U stores will open in malls and outlets in various states across the United States, with each store offering products unique to the market it serves. In each location, Lids will bring their sense of athletic style, offering a variety of collegiate team merchandise for fans and alumni, including men, women and kids.
“It’s an exciting time for Lids as we officially open a new store concept dedicated to college sports fans across the country,” said Lawrence Berger, co-founder and partner at Ames Watson, owner of Lids and chairman of FanzzLids Holdings. “We understand that our customers wanted to see more college merchandise in our stores, and we’re proud to now offer a space for consumers to shop the latest looks from their favorite college teams.”
Lids U stores will offer a broader assortment of college merchandise, but will continue to offer the immersive shopping experience of extensive licensed and branded merchandise that Lids has long been known for. They will also bear the signature of Lids Custom areas, which allow consumers to customize a product of their choice in-store. Stores will continue to carry apparel brands such as Nike, adidas, Under Armour, Fanatics, Retro Brand, Champion, Colosseum, Cutter & Buck, AntiguaMitchell & Ness, and more, as well as Wincraft, Tervis, Indigo Falls and headwear brands New Era and Zephyr.
Lids U marks the continuation of Lids’ commitment to providing college merchandise to fans, including the retailer’s presence on college and university campuses across the United States. Lids operates Fanatics Lids College (“FLCL”) which, in partnership with Fanatics, supplies clothing, hard goods and backpacks to nearly 800 Barnes and Noble College bookstores.
One of the first Lids U stores will open at the Gurnee Mills shopping center in Gurnee, Ill. on July 22, 2022. The store will feature merchandise representing popular schools in the area as well as nationally, including but not limited to Illinois Fighting Illini, Illinois State Redbirds, Loyola Chicago Ramblers, DePaul Blue Demons, Northwestern Wildcats, Southern Illinois Salukis and University of Chicago Maroons, Alabama Crimson Tide, Duke Blue Devils, Michigan State Spartans, Michigan Wolverines, Ohio State Buckeyes and more.
Lids plans to open approximately 11 more Lids U stores in 2022, with more to follow in 2023 and beyond. Lids U stores opening in 2022 include:
- Castleton Square (Indianapolis, Indiana)
- Gurnee Mills (Chicago, IL) – Opening 07/22/2022
- shopping center Georgia (Buford, Georgia) – Opening 07/22/2022
- shopping center Louisiana (Baton Rouge, LA)
- Peripheral shopping center (Atlanta, Georgia)
- Riverchase Gallery (Hoover, AL)
- San Marcos Premium Outlets (San Marcos, TX) – Opening 07/22/2022
- Tangier Outlets Gonzales (Gonzales, LA)
- Tangier Outlets Savannah (Savannah, Georgia)
- Tangier Outlet Charleston (Charleston, South Carolina)
- Tanger Outlets Mebane (Mebane, North Carolina)
Lids U is the newest store format in Lids’ ever-expanding global footprint, including team-specific stores with Yankees Clubhouse and Dodgers Clubhouse locations nationwide. Lids also counts the National Hockey League (NHL), National Basketball Association (NBA) and Paris Saint Germain (PSG) as partners, as it operates the respective US and international flagship stores for each league and team. To date, Lids operates nearly 1,200 stores across North America and Europe Lids continues to be the world’s largest specialty retailer of officially licensed and branded headwear with over 30 million hats sold each year.
About Lids
Lids Sports Group is the largest licensed sports retailer in North Americaselling fan- and fashion-focused headwear and apparel across United States, Canadaand Porto Rico through nearly 1,200 points of sale. IndianapolisLids Sports Group, based in Lids, offers officially licensed and branded gear aimed at enabling customers to represent their unique and individual style, team, passion and enjoyment. Lids Sports Group operates stores under the names Lids, Locker Room by Lids, Fanzz, Yankees Clubhouse Shops, Dodgers Clubhouse, Cardinals Clubhouse and many other nameplates. Lids also has locations in select Macy’s department stores nationwide. To find a point of sale near you, visit blog.lids.com or join the #LidsLoyal on Instagram (@lids), Facebook (@lids), Twitter (@lids), or LinkedIn.
SOURCE Lids