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For all practical purposes, the Cleveland Cavaliers playoff party began April 15 in Orange Village at Pinecrest, the popular mixed-use suburban development, with the opening of the first Center Court team shop outside of Rocket Arena.
Despite it being a blustery day during which temperatures plunged more than 25 degrees from the highs of the previous day, a festive vibe washed over a group of fans who showed up to welcome the store to the area.
Mr. Cavalier, aka Austin Carr, the team’s first-ever draft pick, mingled with fans and signed autographs, along with Cavs legends Campy Russell and Anderson Varejão.
A recreation of the vibe that rocks Rocket Arena at games? Check. Brent Schmidt, Cleveland’s nerdy DJ, worked the turntables.
The Cavs are set to host either the Miami Heat or Atlanta Hawks in the first round of the playoffs at 7 p.m. Easter Sunday on NBA TV.
Chris Kaiser, executive vice president, chief marketing officer for the Cavs, said establishing a satellite shop for the team flagship store has been a goal since he arrived in Cleveland more than six years ago.
“I think we've really been planning this specific location probably for the last 12 to 18 months,” he said recently. “We were getting out other, you know, different locations around Northeast Ohio and we ended up landing here at Pinecrest.”
In this endeavor, timing couldn’t be more perfect for multiple reasons.
First, the craving for sports-related apparel has exploded in just the past decade. In 2018, that segment was worth $155.2 billion, according to research firm Market.us News. By 2023, it had grown to $213.3 billion. But branded gear has expanded beyond just that.
“There's a lot of unique collaborations, a lot of different things. It's a lot, a lot of stuff that's outside the normal fan gear, there's a lot of lifestyle brands, different folks that are coming into this space," Kaiser said. "So, we've just seen a lot of different demand and a lot of different people that maybe just aren't are [the norm].”
But the second reason is more tangible and likely more emotional. Ten years ago, the Cavs embarked on a four-year run during which they appeared in the NBA Finals each season, winning a championship in 2016.
With the current core four of guards Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, forward Evan Mobley and center Jarrett Allen, they seem positioned for another title chase over the course of multiple years. This regular season, the Cavs earned the No. 1 seed in the league’s Eastern Conference with a 64-18 record. The team has captured Northeast Ohio’s attention from starting the season 15-0 until locking up the top spot.
Kaiser estimates there are 55,000 fans within a 10-mile radius around Orange Village, many of whom don’t make it downtown.
In an era when customers are likely to click rather than go to a brick-and-mortar store, the store could be viewed as a gamble.
Kaiser doesn’t see it that way, however, citing the fact that its retail business has risen 61%, much of it because of the team's success this season.
“But what we've seen with the demand this year, like, I really don't feel like there's much of a risk,” he said. “And I feel like the team, they've obviously helped us with a lot of their on-court play. But at the end of the day, like, we know the fans of Northeast Ohio will come out in droves, and we’ve seen that over and over again. This is just a way to meet that demand.”
The Cavs aren’t the first team in the area to meet fans where they are. The Guardians, under the team's previous nickname, averaged seven stores in the area between 1994 and 2014. They were successful due more to serving as a seller of single-game tickets, according to a team spokesman. When the online ticket business took off, they were eventually shuttered, with the last one closing in 2014.
Some of that time overlaps with the years Akron native LeBron James spent in Cleveland in his first stay, reviving the Cavs. A team shop outside of the arena would have seemed to be a no-brainer then and even more so after his 2014 return.
But the retail environment was much different then, Kaiser said, driven more by on-court apparel. The market has changed, he said, with different types of collaborations beyond that segment that includes toys, housewares and other ways to allow a person’s fan flag to fly. In other words, reasons still exist to pound the pavement.
“There’s still an appetite for the brick-and-mortar [stores], and I think in this environment here a lot of people come to Pinecrest to eat, shop and do different things like that,” Kaiser said.
That leads to natural foot traffic for Center Court and something that ultimately could help the team’s popularity in the area, which Carr said he appreciates. Having been with the team virtually since Day 1, it’s not difficult to reflect on what was and what can be, especially in the post-James era.
“To actually have a store like this (outside the arena),” Carr said, “I never imagined it, but I’m sure glad to see it.”
George M. Thomas covers a myriad of things including sports and pop culture, but mostly sports, he thinks, for the Beacon Journal.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: New Center Court Cavs team shop opens in time for NBA Playoffs
Continue reading...
Despite it being a blustery day during which temperatures plunged more than 25 degrees from the highs of the previous day, a festive vibe washed over a group of fans who showed up to welcome the store to the area.
Mr. Cavalier, aka Austin Carr, the team’s first-ever draft pick, mingled with fans and signed autographs, along with Cavs legends Campy Russell and Anderson Varejão.
You must be registered for see images attach
A recreation of the vibe that rocks Rocket Arena at games? Check. Brent Schmidt, Cleveland’s nerdy DJ, worked the turntables.
The Cavs are set to host either the Miami Heat or Atlanta Hawks in the first round of the playoffs at 7 p.m. Easter Sunday on NBA TV.
Chris Kaiser, executive vice president, chief marketing officer for the Cavs, said establishing a satellite shop for the team flagship store has been a goal since he arrived in Cleveland more than six years ago.
“I think we've really been planning this specific location probably for the last 12 to 18 months,” he said recently. “We were getting out other, you know, different locations around Northeast Ohio and we ended up landing here at Pinecrest.”
Timing is everything for Cleveland Cavaliers new Center Court team shop
In this endeavor, timing couldn’t be more perfect for multiple reasons.
First, the craving for sports-related apparel has exploded in just the past decade. In 2018, that segment was worth $155.2 billion, according to research firm Market.us News. By 2023, it had grown to $213.3 billion. But branded gear has expanded beyond just that.
“There's a lot of unique collaborations, a lot of different things. It's a lot, a lot of stuff that's outside the normal fan gear, there's a lot of lifestyle brands, different folks that are coming into this space," Kaiser said. "So, we've just seen a lot of different demand and a lot of different people that maybe just aren't are [the norm].”
But the second reason is more tangible and likely more emotional. Ten years ago, the Cavs embarked on a four-year run during which they appeared in the NBA Finals each season, winning a championship in 2016.
With the current core four of guards Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, forward Evan Mobley and center Jarrett Allen, they seem positioned for another title chase over the course of multiple years. This regular season, the Cavs earned the No. 1 seed in the league’s Eastern Conference with a 64-18 record. The team has captured Northeast Ohio’s attention from starting the season 15-0 until locking up the top spot.
Kaiser estimates there are 55,000 fans within a 10-mile radius around Orange Village, many of whom don’t make it downtown.
Retail concept in digital age could be risky venture for Cavs
In an era when customers are likely to click rather than go to a brick-and-mortar store, the store could be viewed as a gamble.
Kaiser doesn’t see it that way, however, citing the fact that its retail business has risen 61%, much of it because of the team's success this season.
“But what we've seen with the demand this year, like, I really don't feel like there's much of a risk,” he said. “And I feel like the team, they've obviously helped us with a lot of their on-court play. But at the end of the day, like, we know the fans of Northeast Ohio will come out in droves, and we’ve seen that over and over again. This is just a way to meet that demand.”
Cleveland Guardians set the precedent for team shops in Northeast Ohio
The Cavs aren’t the first team in the area to meet fans where they are. The Guardians, under the team's previous nickname, averaged seven stores in the area between 1994 and 2014. They were successful due more to serving as a seller of single-game tickets, according to a team spokesman. When the online ticket business took off, they were eventually shuttered, with the last one closing in 2014.
Some of that time overlaps with the years Akron native LeBron James spent in Cleveland in his first stay, reviving the Cavs. A team shop outside of the arena would have seemed to be a no-brainer then and even more so after his 2014 return.
But the retail environment was much different then, Kaiser said, driven more by on-court apparel. The market has changed, he said, with different types of collaborations beyond that segment that includes toys, housewares and other ways to allow a person’s fan flag to fly. In other words, reasons still exist to pound the pavement.
You must be registered for see images attach
“There’s still an appetite for the brick-and-mortar [stores], and I think in this environment here a lot of people come to Pinecrest to eat, shop and do different things like that,” Kaiser said.
That leads to natural foot traffic for Center Court and something that ultimately could help the team’s popularity in the area, which Carr said he appreciates. Having been with the team virtually since Day 1, it’s not difficult to reflect on what was and what can be, especially in the post-James era.
“To actually have a store like this (outside the arena),” Carr said, “I never imagined it, but I’m sure glad to see it.”
George M. Thomas covers a myriad of things including sports and pop culture, but mostly sports, he thinks, for the Beacon Journal.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: New Center Court Cavs team shop opens in time for NBA Playoffs
Continue reading...
