Sports are something of which people can’t seem to get enough. And, associated memorabilia falls right alongside it. Fans are always buying new jerseys, hats, souvenirs, bobbleheads, you name it. Starting an e-commerce business to capitalize on sports fanaticism is a great idea, especially for someone who knows the industry. Even if you don’t though, an e-commerce store catering to the sports craze is a good way to cash in on a lucrative market.
Here are a few suggestions to do just that.
Get Your Head in the Game
Most sports have equipment and uniforms, so aside from obvious memorabilia, an e-commerce business could offer useful items for athletes. Some professional teams have equipment for sale with their players’ names and logos emblazoned on it; which is great because it can be sold for a higher price. Similarly, having a trademarked name or symbol on a product automatically makes it more expensive.
How many times have you seen something being sold as the “official” product of a team? If you’re running a business that sells sporting goods, having a licensed piece of trademarked equipment is an easy way to expand your market. People who may not be interested in playing a pick-up game may still be interested in buying a basketball with their favorite team’s logo on it.
Easy Catch
Another obvious route is to sell traditional trinkets. Keychains, bobbleheads, and shot glasses can be spotted in pretty much every souvenir store in the world, sports related or not. These items tend to be on the cheaper side, but they’re often bought more impulsively and at higher volumes. You can increase your sales by offering discounts on larger purchases. Try offering price breaks at a dozen shot glasses, or more than two bobbleheads. This can attract customers looking for simple gifts, or someone who just happens to know a lot of sports fans.
Facing the Competition
The world of sporting equipment and memorabilia has plenty of players so you’ll need to know the competition before getting into the game. It may be helpful to narrow what you’re selling to a specific sport or a specific area. Going too specific, like only selling the paraphernalia of one team, can limit the amount of interest you’ll generate. Finding a happy medium is tricky, but can be done.
Once you’ve sales to analyze, look at what sold the most, what sold consistently, and when those sales took place. Changing your inventory due to the season and the sport can help improve profit as well as keep your store from getting stale. Most sites where you can build your own online store offer free website themes, which makes it easy to go from summer sports to fall sports to winter sports. After each change, make sure to check out your analytics to see if there was an increase in sales and what was selling.
There’s always going to be a market for funny knickknacks as much as there’s always going to be a market for sporting equipment. For those of you looking to break into either market, consider how you could combine them instead of just offering one or the other. Keep your inventory fresh and make note of what’s selling, even if your business is doing well. There are a lot of balls on the field and you can definitely capitalize on sports fanaticism if you get it right.