The Minnesota Wild have embarked on a promising new venture by joining forces with Fanatics, a renowned global sports platform and licensed merchandise provider. This long-term partnership is set to revolutionize the retail experience for Wild fans through a harmonious blend of in-venue and online shopping opportunities.
Fanatics, already powering the Wild’s e-commerce site through its league-wide NHL partnership, now assumes control of all physical retail outlets at the Xcel Energy Center along with the management of the HockeyLodge.com online store. This collaboration seeks to create a seamless omnichannel shopping journey for enthusiasts of the Minnesota Wild.
Carin Anderson, the Senior Vice President of Corporate Partnerships and Retail Management for the Minnesota Wild, is eager about the enhanced fan experience promised by this partnership. She anticipates fans will relish an enriched shopping experience both online and at the newly upgraded Xcel Energy Center store, featuring an expanded selection and increased availability of team merchandise.
As part of this collaboration, Fanatics plans to make substantial investments in enhancing the retail spaces at the Xcel Energy Center, including stores, kiosks, and other touchpoints. These improvements aim to optimize the shopping experience during games and events, offering a consistent and convenient shopping environment for all Wild fans.
Fanatics’ far-reaching licensed apparel partnership with the NHL grants them the rights to design, manufacture, and distribute various categories of authentic and replica jerseys, as well as a wide array of fan apparel and headwear. Their role as the NHL’s official provider for on-ice uniforms will allow Wild fans to purchase the same high-quality Made-in-Canada jerseys worn by the players during games, a rare opportunity after more than a decade.
Apart from Fanatics-branded products, the retail offerings will feature apparel, headwear, hard goods, and lifestyle items from recognized brands such as Mitchell & Ness, New Era, WinCraft, and local favorites like UNRL, SotaStick, and Levelwear.
Ed O’Brien, Fanatics’ Senior Vice President of Business Development, highlights the significance of hockey in Minnesota’s culture and the company’s dedication to providing an unparalleled retail experience. He emphasizes the importance of supporting the fans in celebrating the game and proudly backing their team not just on game days but throughout the year.
In recent months, Fanatics has been diligently working on upgrading and renovating The Hockey Lodge, the flagship retail location for the Minnesota Wild. The store is scheduled to host a grand opening event on September 21 at 11 a.m., coinciding with the much-anticipated introduction of the new portfolio of authentic and replica jerseys to fans by the NHL and Fanatics.
With this collaboration, the Minnesota Wild becomes the third NHL team where Fanatics operates both in-venue and e-commerce retail. Joining other prominent Minnesota-based sports organizations like the NBA’s Timberwolves, the WNBA’s Lynx, the NFL’s Vikings, and the University of Minnesota Athletics, the partnership marks an exciting chapter for the Minnesota Wild and their loyal fanbase.
