Impressions - Sports Fan Retailer - Spring 2014 - 46

under the company Wrigleyville Sports,
which is owned by Trey Carlstrom and
his parents, Arnie and Rexene Carlstrom.
In addition to the bricks-and-mortar
locations, each store operates its own
website; the company also operates
chicagoteamstore.com.
"When you provide merchandise to

some of the most devoted fans around,
the next, natural step was to enter the
Philadelphia area," says Tim Boucher,
purchasing and merchandise director.
"Philly fans are great fans who expect
great things from their teams. That's why,
if it's made with a logo (hardgoods and
softgoods), we try to carry it."

Philly Team Store sells authentic
licensed hardgoods and softgoods,
including many styles of Philadelphia
Phillies caps.

Philly Team Store At A Glance
Company Name: Philly Team Store
Address: 1720 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103
Phone: (215) 941-5002; Toll Free: (877) 433-1872
Executive Team: Trey Carlstrom, owner; Tim Boucher, purchasing and
merchandise director; Eric Castelluci, online marketing director; Robert
Calabrese, store manager
Store Hours: Monday-Saturday: 10 a.m-6 p.m.; Sunday: 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
(opens at 10 a.m. for Eagles home games)
Year Opened: 2012
Items Carried: Authentic, licensed hardgoods and softgoods
Website: phillyteamstore.com
Facebook: facebook.com/phillyteamstore
Twitter: @PhillyTeamStore

46 Spring 2014

Calabrese says the passion and pride
that Philly fans have for their teams is
nearly unprecedented in the annals of
sports fandom.
"I don't think there's any definite answer as to why [Philly fans] are so passionate, but the definition may be a combination of things," Calabrese says. "Like
many other big cities in the United States
- specifically in the Northeastern part
of the country - sports is a lifestyle that
is taught to us from birth. From the time
we can walk, or even before, our parents
are teaching us how to run with a football, shoot a basketball or how throw the
perfect curveball. You just grow up with
it. It becomes a part of your life."
FEEDING FAN PASSION
When it comes to Philadelphia sports,
Calabrese says one of the most defining
characteristics of the local fans and their
passion for their teams is that they love
a winner. "There have not been many
winners over the most recent years,"
he says. "We've come close many times
and usually lose in horrible fashion. But
all of the losing seems to keep us - and
our customers - coming back for more.
Unlike other cities that can be defined
as 'fair-weather' fans, Philadelphia fans
stick with their teams regardless of records and championships."
And that's what draws fans to Philly
Team Store, which is strategically -
albeit slowly - starting to build and
market its presence among the city's
rabid fan base.
Much of the store's marketing efforts
are centered on social media. Currently,
the store posts product shots right from
its displays onto its Facebook and Twitter
sites. Staff also floods social media with
conversations about the current state of
Philly teams and the sports in season.
"We like to converse with our fans in a
way that they view us as more than just a
store," Boucher says. "Social media sites
like Facebook and Twitter are very important to us. Being relativity new to the
Philadelphia market, it is a great way to
tell people that we are here."
While it currently doesn't have any
SportsFan Retailer

http://www.chicagoteamstore.com http://www.phillyteamstore.com http://www.facebook.com/phillyteamstore

Impressions - Sports Fan Retailer - Spring 2014

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