Online sales up for Chris Paul jerseys, anything Celtics
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Despite the now-official recession, sports leagues reported strong sales through their online storefronts during the first official shopping days of the holiday season. The leagues won’t discuss specifics, but they do release percentage increases.
NBAstore.com enjoyed its best Cyber Monday (the retail world’s name for the Monday following Thanksgiving) with a 28% sales increase over the comparable day in 2007. Overall sales for the four-day Thanksgiving break were up by 72%.
Leading the sales pack: Chris Paul jerseys, anything with ‘Celtics’ on it, adidas NBA Series track jackets, customized T-shirts and ‘Comfy Feet’ NBA team slippers.
NFLShop.com reported that Thanksgiving Sunday was the highest-grossing online shopping day ever for the web site that sells NFL apparel and gear for all teams. Black Friday, aka the day after Thanksgiving, was the third-busiest day ever. (Thanksgiving Sunday in 2007 remains the second-highest grossing online sales day.)
For reference, NFLShop.com’s 2008 sales are up 43% over 2007’s four-day Turkey break. Last year’s sales rose by 32% over the same period in 2006.
The NFL’s top five items: Brett Favre replica men’s green jerseys and youth green jerseys; Giants hooded sweatshirts; Eli Manning replica men’s blue jerseys and Cowboys navy replica jerseys. Jets sales are up by 390% while the crosstown rival Giants enjoyed a 190% increase over last year.
The NHL reports that Black Friday sales on nhl.com rose by 67% over the same day in 2007, and that Cyber Monday sales rose by 25% over the like day a year ago.
The top items: ‘third jerseys’ -- the apparel that rounds out the collection for avid fans who likely have their favorite team’s home and away jerseys. The NHL top sellersg: Flyers third jersey, Bruins third jersey, Penguins third jersey, Rangers home jersey and a Sidney Crosby (Penguins) third jersey.
The NHL also reports that T-shirts and pint glasses with team logos are strong sellers.
But there are deals are to be had. The NFL website offers 60% off on a wide array of apparel and gear, the NBA on Wednesday offered 15% off women’s and children’s apparel, while the NHL website offered 20% off on hats and T-shirts.
-- Greg Johnson