The Tiger’s winning streak isn’t just helping Coach Ed Orgeron’s national cred, it’s also boosting area retailers’ sales of LSU gear.
Bengals & Bandits owner Patrick Wilkerson has seen sales rise both in-store and online this season compared to past seasons. After LSU beat Texas in early September, the business saw a 35% to 40% rise in online sales for that week—40% of which were to out-of-state customers. He’s hopeful the excitement among the fan base will stay strong and drive sales as the season continues.
“We surprisingly ship a lot (of online orders) to Baton Rouge customers,” Wilkerson says. “That testifies to the demand of online shopping because of convenience.”
The store, located at LSU’s North Gates, focuses on vintage tees as its core niche which continues to be some of Bengal’s best-selling items, Wilkerson says, adding that a Joe Burrow-themed jersey tee has also been a popular item this year.
The store, which designs its own products, keeps an eye out for trend items to “jump on and push,” Wilkerson says, turning the product from idea to market in about a week and a half.
“For a consumer, there’s accessibility when you walk in one of those stores,” Wilkerson says, “but you’re trading it for the individuality and uniqueness of a product.”
Alumni Hall stock manager Cornelius Gayden also expects sales to rise at his Perkins Rowe store as the football season goes on, saying the store has seen increased sales each year and is surprassing internal goals.
“As long as they’re proving their quality and winning, the store is doing wonderful,” Gayden says, adding that coach-style polo shirts and LSU-themed animal outfits have been especially popular this year. “We’re selling about two dozen animal outfits a week.”
Farther from campus, at Tiger Mania, on Interline Avenue near Drusilla Lane, sales are down month-to-month, according to store manager Melana Barton, but activity has been picking up by 80% to 100% on home game weeks. Like Alumni Hall, polos are among the fastest moving items in the store, along with children’s cheerleading outfits and LSU tees.
To prepare for the rest of the season, Barton says she’s ordered a lot of different items not previously stocked by the store, such as sequin and glitter LSU shirts. She plans on setting up tents in the parking lot on the day of the Alabama game.
“We take the items outside so customers can start shopping in the parking lot,” Barton says. “Beat ‘Bama, you know? We go all out.”
