Aramark, which manages the Go Texans shop at Reliant Stadium, reports sales have been running more than 10 percent ahead of last year and likely will set a record if Houston reaches the playoffs for the first time.
Aramark expects strong holiday sales of team gear and other souvenir items, including Christmas stockings and ornaments, Chris Inouye, retail division manager at Reliant Stadium, said in an email. Should the team finish first in the AFC South, Aramark will roll out division-championship T-shirts and hats immediately, he noted.
At Academy Sports + Outdoors, the Texans’ official sporting-goods retailer, sales have been running “significantly” ahead of last year as the team has gotten off to its best start in franchise history, spokesman Eric Herrera said.
The Academy chain has also started selling Texans gear in its San Antonio stores this season.
Everybody loves a winner, don’t they? I remember walking to the Foley’s downtown with some coworkers after the Rockets won the NBA title in 1994 to buy championship swag. I picked up an extra shirt for my friend Andrea, who was then living with her folks in South Carolina, because she knew she couldn’t get one there. (In 1994, you couldn’t do that online. You can’t imagine how much more difficult life was before the Internet, kids.) It was amazing to see so many normally suit-wearing people come to work in Rockets gear for weeks afterward. I can only imagine what this town will look like if the Texans make a playoff run.
There aren’t any [Matt] Leinart jerseys for sale yet, but consider this: There weren’t any [Arian] Foster jerseys before his breakout debut at the beginning of last season. It seems the goal for stores, as with the teams they promote, is to win, baby, win.
Oddly enough, I saw a fellow wearing a Matt Leinart Texans jersey a couple of weeks ago at the Christian’s Tailgate on White Oak. Either he managed to get a bootleg jersey, or maybe he’s a relative. Whatever the case, he was ahead of his time.