By Trent Moore
The Cullman Times
CULLMAN —
With three national college football titles in as many years coming home to Alabama, retailers have learned to be ready for shoppers searching for merchandise to commemorate the win — sometimes as soon as the clock strikes 0:00.
When the Alabama Crimson Tide finished off LSU 21-0 Monday night in the BCS National Championship game, Hibbett Sports in Cullman opened for business at midnight with a fresh shipment of title gear, less than an hour after the game had ended. Other department stores, such as Walmart, were stocked by early Tuesday morning.
Fans thinking they could get a leg up by starting early quickly learned they weren’t the only ones on a late night hunt for a Bama title T-shirt, or a cap with the logo “DONE,” both immediately immortalized by the players on the sidelines in Baton Rouge, La.
“We had people lined up as soon as the game was over, and it was a great turnout, especially considering the weather,” Hibbett Sports manager Tyler Bennett said of the crowd outside when the doors opened at midnight. “We sold out initially at about 1:30 a.m., but we have new shipments coming in. It’s been hectic, that’s the word I would use to describe it.”
Considering Monday night’s win was The Tide’s second title in three years — with the first in 2009, and an Auburn win sandwiched in-between in 2010 — Bennett said the quick turnaround seemed to only excite fans more.
“It really shows how much people support their team,” he said.
The Belk department store in Cullman received a shipment of national championship merchandise on Tuesday, which was rushed by customers as soon as it was unloaded. Other stores, such as Cummings Sporting Goods, are expecting to receive stock later this week.
With her shopping cart full of at least a half dozen T-shirts Tuesday afternoon, Belk shopper Tresa Davidson said she was stocking up before everything sold out.
“I’m buying for family,” she said with a laugh.
Statewide, the recent title runs have been a boon for retailers, ranging from apparel purchases to other trinkets.
“Because the state has had three state championships in a row, that’s revenue the retailers have come to expect, so they were gearing up for it,” Nancy Dennis, with the Alabama Retail Association, said. “They knew if Alabama won it’d be good news for them and help make their January numbers so much easier, because there are all kinds of retailers affected. You naturally think of T-shirts, and those type items, but jewelers and other industries also get into it. It’s a great deal of impact, and January would not be as good without this.”
Dennis said an Alabama win has typically meant better sales for retailers statewide, due to the fervor of Bama fans. A snow storm coinciding with Auburn’s win last year likely also hurt sales at the time.
“January sales across the state should be better than last year, because Alabama has a bit more experience with national titles, plus the weather,” she said. “Traditionally when Alabama wins a title, retailers do a little better, because it doesn’t happen as often for Auburn. Alabama fans know, as soon as they win that game, they want to go out and get that merchandise once they’ve won a national championship.”
Cullman Area Chamber of Commerce President Kirk Mancer said regardless of the team, a title win can create some much-needed retail buzz among certain stores after the holidays.
“Though all stores wouldn’t carry those types of things, any one of our universities or sports teams that do well emotionally is a positive, and economically is a positive,” he said. “Everyone who is a fan of this year’s team, or last year’s team, they want to own that latest commemorative item. I think it’s good for the state, whether you’re an Alabama fan or Auburn fan.”
* Trent Moore can be reached by e-mail at trentm@cullmantimes.com, or by telephone at 734-2131, ext. 220.
