FEATURE
Steve & Barry’s University Sportswear
Eyes Mall Anchor Locations
by Rich Timlen
A lot has changed at Steve & Barry’s University Sportswear stores during the
last 19 years. Come to think of it, a lot of things have also stayed the same.
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It was the low prices and quality merchandise that first brought shoppers to the
cozy 2,000 sq.ft. store across from the University of Pennsylvania back in 1985.
And while customers are still heading to the company’s stores for the affordable
prices and top-notch products, they now have a little more room to shop and a
lot more from which to choose.
“Some people think of us as this tiny, little fan shop,” said Andy Dicker,
executive vice president of the company. “That may be where we came from, but
that’s not where we are today.”
As a matter of fact, Steve & Barry’s is beginning to distance itself from the
college campus locations and is quickly branching out to major malls. The
company’s largest store is a 157,000 sq.ft. location at the Northwest Plaza Mall
in St. Ann, MO, a suburb of St. Louis. Stores typically range from 30,000 sq.ft.
to 150,000 sq.ft. Of the 37 stores in operation, only four are on college
campuses.
Expansion is taking place nationwide and is strictly focused on very large mall
stores. The aggressive growth plan calls for 25 to 30 locations to open the
remainder of this year, with at least that many expected during 2005. It’s hard
to believe that it was only about five years ago when Steve & Barry’s University
Sportswear began its growth into major malls with a 25,000 sq.ft. store at the
Great Lakes Mall in Auburn Hills, MI. Now, shoppers come from many miles away to
snatch up the great deals on items that include down jackets, jeans, sweaters,
footwear, backpacks, jerseys, hats, college products and much more. All of these
items are now non-licensed, meaning everything the company sells is their own
private-label brand. Customers can walk in and grab a down jacket for just $8.98
or a pair of jeans for just $7.50. But don’t get the idea that these items are,
by any means, cheap merchandise.
“I think sometimes people walk into our stores and wonder if we’re going out of
business,” said Dicker, who says his sweatshirts are heavier than the Champion
brand, including full-front embroidery. “They don’t know what’s going on because
they can’t believe that they’re getting quality merchandise for such a
ridiculously low price. But after realizing the products we sell everyone loves
us.”
With the amazing success the company has been experiencing, Steve & Barry’s is
no longer looking to open stores in small markets. “We need an area with a lot
of people,” said Dicker. “We’re really not opening up in tiny markets. I think
people come from very far away to shop at our stores. We’re like a draw in and
of ourselves. We attract customers and change the traffic patterns in malls.”
The company currently operates locations throughout FL, IN, MD, MI, MN, MO, NE,
NJ, NY, OH, PA, VA, WI and WV.
For more information, contact Doug Calvin, Steve & Barry’s University
Sportswear, 11 Grace Avenue, Suite 400, Great Neck, NY 11021; 516-829-4730 Ext.
159, Fax 516-570-8224; Email: dcalvin@steveandbarrys.com; Web site:
www.steveandbarrys.com.