Days before the Washington Redskins play a game that will decide whether they finish the season in last place in the division or second-to-last place in the division, the team has put out a press release bragging about sales at their souvenir stores.
According to the release, posted on the team’s website and headlined “Redskins Team Stores Post Huge Sales Gains,” revenue at the team-owned chain of retail outlets is up 50 percent for the last six months of 2010 when compared to the same period last year.
Or, as Dan Snyder would put it: The Redskins have had a banner season! And don’t call the Donovan McNabb trade a flop for the team, either: The Skins on-field bust and Coach Tanahan‘s newfound favorite fall guy was just announced as 2010’s second-biggest jersey seller in all of football!
Speaking of banners: The timing of the Redskins business-y boast, coming at the end of a another disastrous season for the team in terms of wins and losses (and level of play, and coaching, and personnel acquisitions, and pretty much every other football-centric barometer), should remind local sports fans of the Washington Mystics habit, early in their existence, of hanging “Attendance Champions!” banners after each losing season.
Full release after the jump.
Press Release: REDSKINS TEAM STORES ACHIEVE HUGE SALES GAINS
PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
December 28, 2010
REDSKINS TEAM STORES ACHIEVE huge SALES Gains
LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA – The Washington Redskins and MainGate Inc. announced that retail sales at the Redskins Team Stores in Virginia and Maryland increased by nearly 50 percent in the last six months of 2010 as compared to sales during the same period in 2009.
Sales at the Hall of Fame store and game-day locations at FedExField were up nearly 70 percent compared to the 2009 football season.
There are 13 Redskins retail locations in the Washington D.C. metropolitan area, including the Hall of Fame store at FedExField. Indianapolis-based MainGate Inc. has managed and operated all of Redskins retail stores, including the online store RedskinsTeamStore.com, since June 1, 2010.
When MainGate assumed the retail operations they remodeled and re-merchandised all 13 locations. In addition MainGate has instituted its unique sales and customer service programs that have been a key ingredient to the sales gain and the success of the Redskins merchandise program. MainGate plans a strategic expansion of certain Redskins’ key retail locations in Maryland and Northern Virginia during 2011.
MainGate, Inc. is a multifaceted merchandising and marketing company that serves numerous business partners, including other teams in the NFL and NBA.
“We are extremely pleased with everything MainGate has done to make our stores easier to shop and improve our product selection,” said Redskins Chief Operating Officer David P. Donovan.
MainGate’s President and CEO David Moroknek added, “We are proud of our relationship and the results we have already seen with the Redskins and will continue to improve and strategically grow their brand in the market.”