Golden Knights Unveil New Flagship Team Store at T-Mobile Arena
By ALAN SNEL
Erin Jones said it was only February when she sat down with Vegas Golden Knights officials and began developing a brand design for team merchandise from the ground up.
She said team owner Bill Foley, a West Point graduate, had the team core values down — allegiance, valor and strength.
But Foley and his crew, Jones pointed out, needed a brand identity for his new NHL team — the Golden Knights that begin play in October.
“We were still identifying the details of the persona of the brand,” said Jones, senior vice president of retail operations of Rank + Rally, the retail operator of the Golden Knights’ new team store that was unveiled Monday.
“We were in the creative sandbox,” Jones said at the store that was open for the media to check out. “We worked from a white board. We worked with the team to develop the brand from the ground up.”
And that brand was all on display Monday, when caps, shirts and pullovers displayed the Golden Knight primary and secondary logos in the gold and black team colors.
The only thing missing was the Golden Knight hockey sweater, which will be unveiled by adidas Tuesday — along with the new adidas sweaters of the league’s 30 other teams.
Golden Knights fan can start ordering their team hockey sweaters after the adidas event, with the VGK team jersey selling for $200 and a customized jersey selling for $265.
Nehma Abouzeid, Golden Knights chief marketing officer who had similar marketing and branding duties at Wynn Las Vegas and Las Vegas Sands Corp., said the Golden Knights hockey sweaters should be in fans’ hands by early September after they order them.
The 2,600-square-foot store called, “The Armory,” has an entrance from the arena plaza. So, fans can shop there even on non-game days. There are nearly 200 hockey sticks featured on the walls and seven fixed points of sale plus two mobile handheld devices for checkout.
Team banners bearing the team’s core values of allegiance, valor and strength hang in the store.
Foley had identified those values from his West Point days.
Now, his NHL team has the logo gear to go with those themes.
“I look back three years ago and it feels like a great accomplishment,” said Peter Sadowski, team executive vice president for legal. “Three years ago, we were selling ticket deposits. Now, we’re selling merchandise. “It’s a big step forward.”
Contact Alan Snel at asnel@LVSportsBiz.com
