LIDS INTRODUCES NEW BRICK & MORTAR RETAIL CONCEPT WITH LIDS UNIVERSITY

Lids U Will Serve as One-Stop-Shop for Local Collegiate Gear with Offerings Specific to Each Market it Opens In

INDIANAPOLIS, July 25, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, leading sports retailer Lids announced the launch of Lids University (Lids U), a new retail concept dedicated to collegiate sports product and apparel. Created as a space for fans to purchase products from their favorite schools, Lids U stores will open in key college markets and serve each local community they're within.   

Lids U was developed in response to loyal Lids consumers seeking more NCAA product from the retailer. The new concept will feature a significant assortment of NCAA product with a curated selection of headwear, apparel and accessories from local, regional and national university and collegiate teams. Lids U stores will be opening in shopping malls and outlets in various states across the US, with each store offering products unique to the market that it serves. Within each location, Lids will bring its trademark sense of athletic style, offering a variety of collegiate team products for fans and alumni alike including men, women and children.

"This is an exciting moment for Lids as we officially open a new store concept dedicated to collegiate sports fans across the country," said Lawrence Berger, Co-Founder and Partner at Ames Watson, owner of Lids, and Chairman of FanzzLids Holdings. "We understand that our customers wanted to see more collegiate products in our stores, and we're proud to now offer a space for consumers to shop the latest looks from their favorite collegiate teams."

Lids U stores will offer a wider assortment of collegiate products but will continue to offer the immersive shopping experience of extensive licensed and branded merchandise Lids has long been known for. They will also feature Lids' signature Custom Zones, which allow consumers the opportunity to custom-embroider a product of their choice in-store. The stores will continue to carry apparel brands such as Nike, adidas, Under Armour, Fanatics, Retro Brand, Champion, Colosseum, Cutter & Buck, Antigua, Mitchell & Ness, and more, as well as Wincraft, Tervis, Indigo Falls and headwear brands New Era and Zephyr.

Lids U marks a continuation of Lids' commitment to providing collegiate product to fans, including the retailer's presence on college and university campuses within the US. Lids operates Fanatics Lids College ("FLC") which, in partnership with Fanatics, provides apparel, hard goods and backpacks to nearly 800 Barnes and Noble College Bookstores.

One of the first Lids U stores will open at Gurnee Mills shopping mall in Gurnee, Illinois on July 22, 2022. The store will offer products representing popular schools within the region as well as nationally, including but not limited to, Illinois Fighting Illini, Illinois State Redbirds, Loyola Chicago Ramblers, DePaul Blue Demons, Northwestern Wildcats, Southern Illinois Salukis, and University of Chicago Maroons,Alabama Crimson Tide, Duke Blue Devils, Michigan State Spartans, Michigan Wolverines, Ohio State Buckeyes and more.

Lids plans to open approximately over 11 Lids U stores in 2022, with more to follow in 2023 and beyond. The Lids U stores opening in 2022 include:

• Castleton Square (Indianapolis, IN)
• Gurnee Mills (Chicago, IL) – Opening 7/22/2022
• Mall of Georgia (Buford, GA) – Opening 7/22/2022
• Mall of Louisiana (Baton Rouge, LA)
• Perimeter Mall (Atlanta, GA)
• Riverchase Galleria (Hoover, AL)
• San Marcos Premium Outlets (San Marcos, TX) – Opening 7/22/2022
• Tanger Outlets Gonzales (Gonzales, LA)
• Tanger Outlets Savannah (Savannah, GA)
• Tanger Outlets Charleston (Charleston, SC)
• Tanger Outlets Mebane (Mebane, NC)

Lids U is the newest store format from Lids' continuously expanding brick and mortar global retail footprint, including team-specific stores with Yankees Clubhouse and Dodgers Clubhouse locations throughout the country. Lids also counts the National Hockey League (NHL), National Basketball Association (NBA), and Paris Saint Germain (PSG) as partners as it runs each league and team's respective U.S. and international flagship store locations. To date, Lids operates nearly 1,200 stores throughout North America and Europe Lids continues to be the world's largest retailer specializing in the sale of officially licensed and branded headwear with over 30 million hats sold annually. 

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 almost 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.

SOURCE Lids