WNBA star Caitlin Clark’s jersey sales practically sold out everywhere when she went pro, and the demand for them was initially bigger than the ability of sportswear companies to produce them, according to a report.
Clark’s jersey began selling out the minute she was drafted to the WNBA’s Indiana Fever. Within an hour, for instance, her jerseys were sold out at Fanatics, according to Front Office Sports.
The site goes on to explain that demand for women’s sports jerseys has often outpaced makers’ supply. Clark is not the only jersey in demand. Sales for the WNBA’s A’ja Wilson, Rickea Jackson, and Breanna Stewart are also soaring.
A list of sportswear and casual wear companies is scrambling to introduce more women’s sports-related clothing, hats, jerseys, and T-shirts. Companies including Fanatics, Togethxr, BreakingT, and Nike are all sinking more resources into women’s sports, especially for WNBA players.
The entrance of Caitlin Clark onto the sports scene has exposed the absence of attention that sportswear companies have devoted to women’s sports up to this point.
Fanatics SVP of merchandising Kimberley Alula notes that her company has already sold five times as much WNBA merchandise this year than it did last year, and the company is jumping in feet first to increase its line of WNBA offerings to meet the pent-up demand.
Licensing, though, has been a trouble spot preventing a mass rollout of women’s sports because few companies have put much stock in women’s sports stars, and many have no licensing agreements at all.
Of course, the WNBA is not the only focus for this manufacturing boom, though it is a big goal for these companies. As demand rises, they are also looking into female Olympic stars, the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team, women’s hockey, and other sports.
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