The Minnesota Wild have scored big in the retail arena with a new long-term partnership with Fanatics, a premier global digital sports platform for licensed sports merchandise. This exciting collaboration aims to take the fan shopping experience to the next level by offering an enhanced range of merchandise and a seamless shopping experience both online and in person.

Effective immediately, Fanatics steps in as the official end-to-end retail partner for the Wild, taking over the operations of all physical retail locations at the Xcel Energy Center and managing the online store HockeyLodge.com. This move signifies a strategic shift towards a unified omnichannel shopping experience for Wild enthusiasts, ensuring that fans can enjoy a consistent and convenient shopping environment, whether they are browsing online, on mobile devices, or attending games at the arena.

Carin Anderson, the Senior Vice President of Corporate Partnerships and Retail Management for the Minnesota Wild, is thrilled about this new partnership and the benefits it brings to fans. She promises an upgraded shopping experience at the Xcel Energy Center store, with a wider variety and increased availability of their favorite team merchandise.

Fanatics plans to make substantial investments in upgrading the retail spaces at the Xcel Energy Center, including stores, kiosks, and other touchpoints, to optimize the fan shopping experience during games and events. By integrating e-commerce and in-venue retail operations, Fanatics aims to provide Wild fans with an unmatched shopping experience.

Through their licensed partnership with the NHL, Fanatics will expand the range of high-quality team merchandise available to Wild fans, including authentic and replica jerseys, fan apparel, and headwear. As the NHL’s official provider for on-ice uniforms starting this season, Fanatics will offer fans the opportunity to purchase the same on-ice jerseys worn by the players during games, branded with the Fanatics logo and made in Canada.

In addition to Fanatics-branded products, the retail offerings will feature apparel, headwear, hard goods, and lifestyle items from renowned brands like Mitchell & Ness, New Era, WinCraft, as well as local favorites such as UNRL, SotaStick, and Levelwear. The enhanced merchandise lineup promises to cater to every Wild fan’s preferences and style.

Ed O’Brien, the Senior Vice President of Business Development at Fanatics, shares the excitement about this partnership, emphasizing the significance of hockey in Minnesota’s culture. He reiterates Fanatics’ commitment to providing an unparalleled retail experience that allows fans to celebrate the game and show support for their team on game days and beyond.

Fanatics has already begun implementing upgrades and renovations to The Hockey Lodge, the Wild’s flagship retail location, in preparation for the grand opening event on September 21 at 11 a.m. This event will coincide with the introduction of the new portfolio of authentic and replica jerseys to fans, showcasing the latest offerings for the season ahead.

With this partnership, the Minnesota Wild joins the ranks of other Minnesota-based sports organizations that have teamed up with Fanatics to enhance their retail operations. From the NBA’s Timberwolves to the NFL’s Vikings and the University of Minnesota Athletics, Fanatics continues to revolutionize the sports merchandise industry with its innovative retail solutions.

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