Lids to open shop-in-shop concept stores at DSW

By

Jennifer Braun

Published
Apr 19, 2021

Sports retailer Lids has partnered with Designer Brands to expand its footprint across Canada and bring licensed sports product to its stores for the first time. 

As part of the partnership, Lids will open shop-in-shop concept stores in 45 Canadian locations of DSW Designer Shoe Warehouse (DSW) and The Shoe Company, including in Toronto, Calgary, and Vancouver. Likewise, the partnership will equally span online with Lids products available on each store's respective website. The first in-store shop-in-shop concept will launch on May 15 along with the online assortment.

These shop-in-shop formats will vary across the country, while product will primarily include licensed headwear and jerseys, with an emphasis on gear representing top Canadian sports teams including the Maple Leafs, Oilers, Raptors, and the Blue Jays. 

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"We are thrilled to partner with Lids on the roll-out of store-in-store boutiques offering licensed sports merchandise to local fan communities across the country," said Mary Turner, president of Designer Brands operations in Canada.

"We believe that Lids' merchandise provides great synergies with our growing athletics assortments while allowing us to tap into a younger customer demographic."  

Lids currently boasts 130 storefronts throughout Canada, including 70 stores that opened during the Covid-19 pandemic. The announcement with Designer Brands equally cements an international expansion agreement with the NBA. Lids is part of Lids Sports Group, which boasts over 28 million in sales per year across its 1,200 locations. 

"At Lids, we're always looking for new ways to bring our unparalleled assortment of licensed sports apparel and headwear to more customers," said Lawrence Berger, co-founder and partner at Ames Watson and chairman of FanzzLids Holdings, which is the owner of Lids. 

"Designer Brands offers a one-stop-shop for footwear and accessory needs and we're looking forward to complementing that with Lids' diverse offerings to better serve Canadian customers."