Foot Locker's merger brings together a sports performance (Eastbay) and lifestyle (Champs) brand under one roof and with a pitch to student athletes. "The brands coming together will continue to inspire the next generation of athletes by helping them game, train and live at their best, with a mission to be the true expression of sport culture," the company said in a release.
The combination won't change the branding or assortment of Champs stores, according to a company spokesperson. A Florida Champs store set to open early next year will have an Eastbay presence, similar to a Chicago-area Champs store that included Eastbay's first physical presence within it.
While Champs has more than 500 stores in the U.S., Eastbay has been a direct-to-consumer brand for most of its life. Both brands are decades-old and have been through numerous evolutions already. Champs and Eastbay have also been challenged in the pandemic era, with last year's severe decline in youth sports participation.
Both brands, in part, turned to video to engage customers and stay relevant. That continues with the Uninterrupted partnership. Along with the apparel line, the two companies are teaming up on a video series called "More Than An Athlete Hotline: Varsity Edition," hosted by a former college football kicker and YouTuber Donald De La Haye and women's college basketball star Sedona Prince.
As for the apparel line, it's set to begin Dec. 1 with the first of three drops focused basketball, including hoodies, T-shirts, joggers, accessories and compression pieces. The collection launches on both on Eastbay.com and ChampsSports.com, and at select Champs Sports stores. The next collections focus on baseball and football, with drops slated for 2022.
– Ben Unglesbee @Ben_Unglesbee
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As category players extend lead times and amass inventory to manage delays, they're also building sourcing relationships beyond China and Vietnam.
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