Mets named Club Retailer of the Year
The last time the Mets won Major League Baseball's now-coveted Club Retailer of the Year Award was 2006, and those were the days when players still wore stinky wool caps, Cyber Monday was something new, women's gear was pretty much pink, and you could customize a David Wright No. 5 home jersey for the holidays.
The Mets were just named Club Retailer of the Year again for 2015 on Thursday, and how much has changed besides the club's ballpark? You can now shop mobile or online to find: 299 styles of Mets caps; sitewide sales at mets.com/shop through Cyber Monday and beyond; women's fashion from National League champion raglan tops to Dooney & Burke handbags to plus sizes; and an entire David Wright custom shop.
Since its inception in 2005, the Club Retailer of the Year Award has been presented based on a combination of fan activity, vendor feedback, sales, creative marketing and exceptional merchandising efforts. Highlights during the Mets' World Series season included the highest single-game ticket sales day in Citi Field history (Game 3 against the Royals), record sales of game-used memorabilia and standout retail marketing campaigns.
"The New York Mets took advantage of a fantastic season on the field and turned that into tremendous success in their stores throughout Citi Field," said MLB executive vice president of business Noah Garden. "Even before this year's World Series berth, the retail staff in Queens provided Mets fans with a diverse and creative mix of product and promotions to support the team, and the fans responded in a big way. The Mets earned this award with their hard work during one of the best seasons the franchise has ever experienced -- on and off the field."
The Mets' authentication program, Amazin' Memorabilia, has grown into one of the top programs in MLB, while Citi Field shops presented by Majestic Athletic, New Era, Nike and '47 Brand, among others, saw increased metrics across the board.
"It's a great honor for us to be chosen for this award for the second time, as nobody has more passion and devotion than Mets fans when it comes to wearing our colors inside and outside the ballpark," said Mets senior vice president of venue services and operations Mike Landeen. "It is a tribute to the Mets merchandise and marketing staff who help provide a wide variety of products to our fans and understand current trends. Thanks also goes out to Aramark for their partnership and insight."
The Mets join the Mariners (2005 and '14) as the only two-time winners. Other recipients were the Phillies in 2007, Brewers in '08, Reds in '10, Tigers in '11, Yankees in '12 and Dodgers in '13.