The U.S. Women’s National Team is still sipping victory’s sweet nectar after delivering a 5-2 win over Japan in the Women’s World Cup Finals in Vancouver, B.C., on Sunday.
In the event you’ve been living under a rock for the last few days, let’s recap: It was the USWNT’s first World Cup win since 1999, a history-making third Women’s World Cup title for the U.S. (1991, 1999, 2015) and the USWNT scored four goals in just the first 16 minutes of the match.
And those aren’t the only wins stemming from the tournament. Retailers, too, are expected to see sales jumps for World Cup gear.
Popular sporting-goods company Dick’s Sporting Goods Inc. says it saw quite the uptick in sales for its Women’s World Cup tanks, tees and jerseys during the tournament. That interest skyrocketed after Sunday’s win, the retailer said.
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“Throughout the U.S. Women’s World Cup run, Dick’s saw an increase in sales throughout stores across the country and online,” a spokesperson for Dick’s told FN. “Within minutes after the team’s big win on Sunday, championship product began selling on Dicks.com, most notably the Nike official championship tee.”
While skeptics have long labeled soccer a tough sell in America — Matt Powell, sports-industry analyst with NPD Group, told FN he’s not sure the 2015 World Cup momentum is sustainable —the current levels of enthusiasm surrounding the tournament and the USWNT’s victory have been palpable.
Stars the likes of Beyoncé and Fergie posted photos of their USWNT-themed gear on their Instagram and Twitter accounts, and fans have responded with great interest in donning the patriotic wares.
Although Nike was the official sponsor of the USWNT, players Lauren Holiday and Kelley O’Hara were personally sponsored by Under Armour, while Adidas sponsored Becky Sauerbrunn and Morgan Brian.
Other sporting goods and athletic footwear and apparel retailers, such as Modell’s Sporting Goods and City Sports, have also heavily promoted USWNT gear on their websites and in e-blasts.
While it’s hard to say how long the excitement will last, Dick’s says it will continue to offer new championship product in its stores throughout the end of the week.
