The Minnesota Wild and Fanatics have teamed up to revolutionize the retail experience at the Xcel Energy Center. By forging a long-term partnership, the Wild have enlisted the help of Fanatics, a prominent digital sports platform renowned for providing licensed sports merchandise, to take the fan shopping experience to a whole new level.
Immediate changes have been put into effect, with Fanatics stepping in as the official end-to-end retail partner for the Wild. This transition involves the management of all physical retail locations at the Xcel Energy Center and the operation of the online store, HockeyLodge.com. The primary goal of this collaboration is to create a seamless and unified omnichannel shopping experience for all ardent Wild supporters.
Previously, Fanatics had been powering the Wild’s official e-commerce site through their league-wide partnership with the NHL. However, with this expanded agreement, both the online and in-arena retail operations have been integrated to ensure a consistent shopping experience, whether fans are browsing virtually or attending live games.
Carin Anderson, the Senior Vice President of Corporate Partnerships and Retail Management for the Minnesota Wild, expressed her excitement about this new venture. She emphasized that fans can look forward to an enriched shopping adventure, both online and at the refurbished Xcel Energy Center store. The variety and availability of favorite team merchandise are expected to increase significantly.
As part of this monumental collaboration, Fanatics plans to make substantial investments in upgrading the retail spaces at the Xcel Energy Center, including stores, kiosks, and various touchpoints. These enhancements are strategically designed to optimize the shopping experience during games and events, providing fans with a convenient and consistent shopping environment.
Fanatics, through its extensive licensed apparel partnership with the NHL, is set to offer Wild fans an expanded range of high-quality team merchandise. This encompasses the rights to design, manufacture, and distribute authentic and replica jerseys, alongside an extensive selection of fan apparel and headwear. Moreover, starting this season, Fanatics will assume the role of the NHL’s official provider for on-ice uniforms, allowing fans to purchase the same jerseys worn by their favorite players during games.
In addition to Fanatics-branded products, the retail offerings will feature apparel, headwear, hard goods, and lifestyle items from renowned brands such as Mitchell & Ness, New Era, WinCraft, along with local favorites like UNRL, SotaStick, and Levelwear – promising an array of options to cater to diverse fan preferences.
Ed O’Brien, the Senior Vice President of Business Development at Fanatics, shared his enthusiasm about this collaborative endeavor with the Wild. He highlighted the significance of hockey in Minnesota’s culture and emphasized Fanatics’ commitment to delivering an unparalleled retail experience. The aim is to enable fans to celebrate the game and firmly support their team, not just on game days but beyond.
In recent months, Fanatics has been diligently working on revamping The Hockey Lodge, the Wild’s flagship retail location. The store is gearing up to host a grand opening event on September 21 at 11 a.m., coinciding with the introduction of the new portfolio of authentic and replica jerseys to fans by the NHL and Fanatics.
With this partnership, the Minnesota Wild joins the league of NHL teams for which Fanatics manages both in-venue and e-commerce retail operations. The team aligns with other Minnesota-based sports organizations that have already partnered with Fanatics, which includes the NBA’s Timberwolves, the WNBA’s Lynx, the NFL’s Vikings, and the University of Minnesota Athletics, solidifying Fanatics as a key player in the state’s sports merchandise landscape.
