Even before the confetti, Eagles fans swooped into Philly stores for Super Bowl merch
At some places, the demand didn’t let up until 1 a.m. Retailers expect it to continue through Friday’s parade and beyond.
Before the Super Bowl game clock even hit zero, Eagles fans lined up at Rally House stores across the Philadelphia region.
They were anxious to get their hands on the preprinted gear of champions at 21 local Rally House locations. The stores stayed open until the apparel sold out or fans stopped coming, said Colin Novick, a media and production manager for the chain. At some stores, that wasn’t until 1 a.m.
“We anticipated a large increase in late-night in-store traffic, and that’s exactly what we got,” Novick said. “The fans were great, celebrating and cheering with each other in line and as they shopped.”
When the Eagles Pro Shop opened Monday morning, a line stretched from its queue on the side of Lincoln Financial Field into the parking lot. The mood was giddy.
“I just woke up and came here,” said Kyle Dexter, 34, of Cherry Hill. Inside the store, he agonized over whether to get Lane Johnson’s or C.J. Gardner-Johnson’s jersey. He had wanted Brandon Graham’s, “because he might have played his last game,” Dexter said. But other shoppers beat him to it.
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Demand skyrocketed at the region’s sports retailers as soon as it was clear that the Eagles were going to dominate the Kansas City Chiefs in Sunday’s Super Bowl. The Birds won 40-22, crushing their opponent’s chances of a historic “three-peat.” For apparel stores that sell Eagles gear, executives say the decisive victory will undoubtedly translate into a sales win this week and beyond.
“Since the final whistle, it’s been nonstop online orders coming in overnight,” said Brian Michael, CEO and founder of Shibe Vintage Sports, which has stores in Center City, Wayne, West Chester, and Ardmore.
Particularly popular, Michael said: A “We won that jawn” shirt with a green-winged Eagle carrying the Lombardi trophy in its talons; a “Worlds Champs 2025” hoodie with the menacing mug of a yellow-beaked bird; and of course the officially licensed knit hats, T-shirts, and hoodies proclaiming that the Eagles are Super Bowl champions.
As the region awoke from its celebrations Monday, there weren’t lines at Shibe stores, Michael said, and the championship swag wouldn’t be available in store until Tuesday. But he’s expecting lines later this week ahead of the parade.
As of the Friday before the Super Bowl, Shibe’s sales so far this year are up 325% compared to the same time last year, when the Eagles were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs, Michael said. And this Friday’s parade should provide a big boost.
“That allows us to have more time to get ready” than if the parade was midweek, Michael said. “We’ll have all the championship gear at all the locations throughout the week.”
Plus, he added, “it’ll be fun shopping because everyone is in a good mood.”
Michael couldn’t recall how much sales increased the day of the 2018 Super Bowl parade, he said, but “compared to no parade, or a normal Friday, it’s 100s of percent more.”
Rally House, Dick’s, and Fanatics, which manufactures all officially licensed apparel, declined to share sales or foot traffic data on Monday.
At the Eagles Pro Shop, which sells Fanatics gear, the long lines continued into the afternoon, with local and out-of-town fans in the mood to celebrate — and to spend.
Philadelphia native Kristie Dugan, 50, already owned plenty of Eagles items, including the crew neck she sported Monday morning, but she needed Super Bowl victory merch.
“It wasn’t bad, the line moves very fast, took about 10 minutes to get in,” said Dugan, holding up her black Super Bowl Champions T-shirt. “It’s worth it just to be part of something bigger than we are.”
Kentucky native Scott Reed and his 14-year-old daughter, Sloan, grabbed shirts for their extended family before heading to the airport. The pair had flown into town to support their adopted team, and ended up celebrating on Broad Street until 1 a.m.
“It was just magical to see the team dominate the entire 60 minutes,” Reed said, pulling his suitcase in one hand and carrying his green bag of Eagles merch in the other.
Retailers expect the demand to continue.
Rally House plans to extend its hours at 27 Philadelphia-area stores this week to give customers more time to shop ahead of the parade, Novick said. And they’ll continue to restock in the coming weeks.
So will Shibe, Michael said, with bomber jackets and books set to come in post-parade. The sales boost from a championship usually extends well into the offseason.
“The festivities,” he said, “will continue.”