Macy’s Inc. and LIDS Sports Group, a subsidiary of Genesco Inc., announced each have signed an agreement to open a licensed team merchandise department in Macy’s stores and online, according to a press release.
Both companies plan to call the department “Locker Room by Lids” and will be piloted in approximately 25 Macy’s stores and on macys.com beginning in the fall 2013. In the spring of 2014, the companies will roll out an additional 175 in-store departments as part of the initial phase.
Each department will have licensed products associated with professional and collegiate teams including NFL, MLB, NBA and NCAA. The size of the departments will vary among each Macy’s location, with an expected average of 500 to 1,000 square-feet per location.
Lids’ goal will be to incorporate an interactive kiosk through which customers can place online orders that can be shipped directly to homes or other designated addresses.
“Through our partnership with LIDS, Macy’s will be able to offer a focused assortment of team-related merchandise that is tailored to the fans who shop at each Macy’s store,” said Jeff Gennette, chief merchandising officer for Macy’s in the press release.
“Moreover, with Macy’s rapidly emerging omnichannel capability, Macy’s can sell and fulfill orders for customers who may be fans of teams anywhere in America or who are buying gifts for friends and family who live elsewhere, said Gennette in the press release.
The LIDS Sports Group will be the exclusive operator of Macy’s in-store team sportswear. Macy’s will be the exclusive U.S. department store with Locker Room by Lids locations.
“As we continue to grow our Locker Room by Lids locations across North America, the opportunity to partner with Macy’s allows us to immediately capture underserved markets in virtually every major sports city in the U.S.,” said Ken Kocher, president of LIDS Sports Group in the press release.