24 RETAIL-MERCHANDISER.COM November/December 2014 COVER STORY Favorite Fan S kating across the ice and stopping on a dime, soar- ing above an opponent’s heads or a game-winning slam dunk – the physical prowess o proessional athletes seems almost otherworldly at times. And yet, the best sports teams connect with their ans in such a way that the ans don’t just eel like they are supporting the team, but are part o it. Perhaps that’s why the NBA’s oronto Raptors newest media campaign is titled “We Te North,” – efectively letting its ans know that although it is part o a league composed mainly o U.S.-based teams, the Raptors are proudly one with their ans. Te same goes or its sister teams playing in other leagues. Te oronto Raptors are part o a larger amily owned by Maple Leas Sports & Entertainment (MLSE), which also owns the NHL’s oronto Maple Leas, Major League Soccer’s oronto FC and the American Hockey League’s oronto Marlies. It also owns the arenas, stadi- ums and practice acilities where the teams play their home games and train – Air Canada Centre, Ricoh Coliseum, BMO Field and MasterCard Centre. Whether their teams are playing at home or away, in season or of season, MLSE’s ocus is on strengthening the relationship between the ans and their teams. What’s In Store? Tat was the motivation behind MLSE’s newest venture: Real Sports Apparel at Air Canada Centre. On Sept. 5, MLSE opened a 4,500-square-oot specialty retail store con- nected to Gate 1 at Air Canada Centre. Real Sports Apparel ofers the largest and most exclusive selection o Maple Leas, Raptors, oronto FC and Marlies gear and apparel, but because Air Canada Centre is the home arena o the Maple Leas and the Raptors, the store is particularly skewed toward those two teams and even more so on game days. “We wanted this to be a high-end retail store with all the elements that a customer would expect at a high-end retail store,” explains Jef Budway, director o merchandise and retail operations. “But the key point was in making the store incredibly transitional. We developed a concept where on nights when the Raptors play, the entire store would be Raptors and i the Leas played in the building the ollowing night, the entire store would be Maple Leas.” November/December 2014 RETAIL-MERCHANDISER.COM 25 MAPLE LEAFS SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT MLSE engages its customers with new concepts, clothing lines and progressive technology that strengthens the relationship between teams and fans. BY JAMIE MORGAN Jef Budway, director o merchandise and retail operations www.mlse.com Toronto, Ontario