Nordstrom expands into licensed sports fan gear through partnership with Fanatics

By

Robin Driver

Published
Nov 18, 2021

Luxury department store chain Nordstrom has teamed up with sports merchandise company Fanatics to launch licensed sports fan products from leagues including the NFL, NCAA, NBA, and MLB, on the Nordstrom.com e-commerce platform.
 

Marking Nordstrom’s first-ever expansion into licensed sports merchandise, the long-term partnership will allow visitors to the Nordstrom.com to shop thousands of men’s, women’s and kids’ sports fan products through the platform’s new Sports Fan Shop.

Selected from Fanatics’ broad merchandise portfolio, the new product offering includes brands such as Fanatics, Nike, Adidas and Mitchell & Ness.

The front-end digital customer experience of the Sports Fan Shop will be powered by Nordstrom, but orders will be fulfilled and shipped by Fanatics.
 
“Through this innovative partnership model and new product category, we can now meet the needs of sports enthusiasts and the people who shop for them,” said Nordstrom’s chief merchandising officer, Teri Bariquit, in a release. “Since Fanatics is the industry leader in this category and a digital-first company with strong investments in technology, they made the perfect fit for us to differentiate our offer and give customers increased selection to discover.”
 
According to Nordstrom, the company decided to expand into licensed sports goods after identifying an opportunity for growth in the category among its customer base via its customer-centric, data-driven approach to merchandising. The move ties in with the department store retailer’s wider long-term strategy to broaden its online assortment and offer personalization at scale by leveraging customer insights.
 
“Fanatics is incredibly excited to partner with Nordstrom and provide its shoppers with access to a new selection of officially licensed sports merchandise for the first time,” commented Jack Boyle, Fanatics global co-president for direct-to-consumer. “We look forward to introducing this new category to their business and creating an elevated experience for all members of the family to celebrate their pride and passion on gamedays and beyond.”
 
In the second quarter ended July 31, 2021, Nordstrom reported net earnings of $80 million. Net sales for the period were $3.6 billion, representing year-over-year growth of 101%.