The Minnesota Wild have kicked off a game-changing collaboration with Fanatics, the renowned global digital sports platform and licensed sports merchandise provider, to take the retail experience at Xcel Energy Center to new heights. This long-term partnership marks Fanatics as the official end-to-end retail partner of the Wild, overseeing all physical retail outlets at the arena and managing the team’s online store, HockeyLodge.com, effective immediately.
Fanatics, known for powering the Wild’s official e-commerce site through its league-wide deal with the NHL, has now expanded its role to integrate online and in-arena retail operations seamlessly. Whether fans are shopping online, on their mobile devices, or attending games at the Xcel Energy Center, they can expect a consistent and enhanced shopping experience, thanks to this new collaboration aimed at creating a unified omnichannel approach for Wild enthusiasts.
Carin Anderson, the Senior Vice President of Corporate Partnerships and Retail Management for the Minnesota Wild, expressed her excitement about this partnership. She highlighted the benefits fans will enjoy, such as an improved online shopping experience and a revamped retail store at the Xcel Energy Center featuring a wider variety and increased availability of team merchandise.
As part of the agreement, Fanatics will make substantial investments in upgrading the retail spaces at the arena, including stores, kiosks, and various touchpoints, all aimed at optimizing the shopping experience during games and events. By uniting e-commerce and in-venue retail, Fanatics aims to offer fans a convenient and consistent shopping environment.
With its extensive licensed apparel partnership with the NHL, Fanatics is set to provide Wild fans with an expanded range of high-quality team merchandise. Starting this season, Fanatics will be the official provider of on-ice uniforms for the NHL, allowing fans to purchase the same jerseys worn by players during games, which are now Fanatics-branded 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, and local favorites such as UNRL, SotaStick, and Levelwear. This diverse selection ensures that fans have access to a broad range of top-quality merchandise to showcase their support for the Wild.
Ed O’Brien, the Senior Vice President of Business Development at Fanatics, shared his enthusiasm about this partnership, stressing the significance of hockey in Minnesota’s culture. He underlined Fanatics’ commitment to delivering an unmatched retail experience that allows fans to celebrate the game and proudly back their team not just on game days but beyond.
In recent months, Fanatics has been introducing upgrades and renovations at The Hockey Lodge, the Wild’s flagship retail location. The store is gearing up to host a grand opening event on September 21 at 11 a.m., coinciding with the debut of the new portfolio of authentic and replica jerseys by the NHL and Fanatics, giving fans a chance to get firsthand experience with the latest offerings.
With the Minnesota Wild now under its partnership umbrella, Fanatics expands its reach within the NHL, marking the third team for which it manages both in-venue and e-commerce retail. Notably, the Wild join a list of prominent Minnesota-based sports organizations, including the Timberwolves, Lynx, Vikings, and the University of Minnesota Athletics, that have aligned with Fanatics to enhance their retail experiences.