INDIANPOLIS, April 15, 2021
/PRNewswire/ -- Leading sports retailer Lids is partnering with
Designer Brands, Inc. (NYSE: DBI), one of North America's largest designers, producers
and retailers of footwear and accessories, to bring licensed sports
product to its stores in Canada
for the first time, it was announced today.
With this new partnership, Lids, which currently boasts 130
storefronts throughout Canada,
will have shop-in-shop concept stores coast to coast in 45 Canadian
locations of DSW Designer Shoe Warehouse (DSW) and The Shoe
Company, including Toronto,
Calgary, and Vancouver. These shop-in-shop formats will
range from impactful headwear displays to mini shops that include
licensed jerseys.
"At Lids, we're always looking for new ways to bring our
unparalleled assortment of licensed sports apparel and headwear to
more customers," said Lawrence
Berger, co-founder and partner at Ames Watson and Chairman
of FanzzLids Holdings which is the owner of Lids. "Designer Brands
offers a one-stop-shop for footwear and accessory needs and we're
looking forward to complementing that with Lids' diverse offerings
to better serve Canadian customers."
Product will primarily include licensed headwear and jerseys,
with an emphasis on gear representing top Canadian sports teams
including the Maple Leafs, Oilers, Raptors, and the Blue Jays .
Product assortment will include a variety of branded hats plus a
robust team mix of licensed headwear. This new partnership also
encompasses online sales with Lids product available on each
store's respective website – dsw.ca and
theshoecompany.ca – moving forward.
"We are thrilled to partner with Lids on the roll-out of
store-in-store boutiques offering licensed sports merchandise to
local fan communities across the country," said Mary Turner, President of Designer Brands
Operations in Canada. "We believe
that Lids' merchandise provides great synergies with our growing
athletics assortments while allowing us to tap into a younger
customer demographic."
The announcement with Designer Brands follows a breakout year
for Lids that saw the company add 70 stores during the COVID
pandemic and cement an international expansion agreement with the
NBA. Lids continues to be the largest headwear retailer in
North America, with over 28
million sold per year across their 1,200 locations. Beyond hats,
Lids is the largest brick and mortar retailer of licensed sports
product in North America and has a
fast-growing non-sports branded business.
The first in-store shop-in-shop concept between Lids and
Designer Brands will launch on May 15
along with the online assortment.
Media Contact
Laura
Kepus (Lids): laura@berkcommunications.com
About Lids
Lids Sports Group is the largest licensed
sports retailer in North America, selling fan and
fashion-oriented headwear and apparel across the United
States, Canada, and Puerto Rico through over
1,200 retail locations. Indianapolis-based Lids Sports Group
carries officially licensed and branded gear aimed at empowering
customers to represent their unique and individual style, team,
passion and fun. Lids Sports Group operates stores under the Lids,
Locker Room by Lids, Fanzz, Yankees Clubhouse Shops, Dodgers
Clubhouse, Cardinals Clubhouse, and numerous other nameplates. Lids
also has locations within select Macy's department stores
nationwide. To find a retail location near you
visit blog.lids.com or join the #LidsLoyal
on Instagram (@lids), Facebook (@lids), Twitter (@lids),
or LinkedIn.
About Designer Brands
Designer Brands is one
of North America's largest designers, producers and
retailers of footwear and accessories. The Company operates a
portfolio of retail concepts in nearly 700 locations under the DSW
Designer Shoe Warehouse®, The Shoe Company®
and Shoe Warehouse® banners. The Company designs and
produces footwear and accessories through Camuto Group, a leading
manufacturer selling in more than 5,400 stores worldwide. Camuto
Group owns licensing rights for the Jessica Simpson®
footwear business and footwear and handbag licenses for Lucky
Brand®. In partnership with a joint venture with
Authentic Brands Group, the Company also owns a stake in
Vince Camuto®, Louise et
Cie®, and others. More information can be found
at www.designerbrands.com.
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SOURCE Lids