Adidas Swag watch 2018

[RonJohn]

I called a few Hibbet Sports locations and they all said they don't get Georgia Tech gear. Wow. Hopefully adidas can help make a dent in local stores. Pretty shameful the current state of retail availability for Tech anything. This matters big-time for sidewalk fandom especially. It's part of the overall equation, along with of course winning, etc...

Neither does Academy Sports, Walmart, Target, etc... But it has nothing to do with the GTAA. It is because when they do stock GT gear, it doesn't sale until it is highly discounted.

My closest Academy Sports does have a few(2 or 3) different GT t-shirts. I know many stories and have posted them here of gear sitting in stores forever. Someone I know purchased $40-$50 GT lawn chairs for $5 or $6 each because they stayed in the Walmart long after all of the mutt, Alabama, and Auburn stuff was gone. The store had to discount them heavily before anyone would pick them up. They aren't even GT fans just like the chairs. My local Walmart STILL has half a box of Orange Bowl Blu-Rays. Three and a half years later they still haven't sold. GTAA nor Adidas can make a store carry something if the store firmly believes they can't sell it.

 

[Buzz*The*Plumber]

Neither does Academy Sports, Walmart, Target, etc... But it has nothing to do with the GTAA. It is because when they do stock GT gear, it doesn't sale until it is highly discounted.

My closest Academy Sports does have a few(2 or 3) different GT t-shirts. I know many stories and have posted them here of gear sitting in stores forever. Someone I know purchased $40-$50 GT lawn chairs for $5 or $6 each because they stayed in the Walmart long after all of the mutt, Alabama, and Auburn stuff was gone. The store had to discount them heavily before anyone would pick them up. They aren't even GT fans just like the chairs. My local Walmart STILL has half a box of Orange Bowl Blu-Rays. Three and a half years later they still haven't sold. GTAA nor Adidas can make a store carry something if the store firmly believes they can't sell it.

That may be true in some cases, just as I'm sure there's some stuff for every team that sits there forever. But if there's not stuff in the first place, or only 2 shirts, it's definitely not going to sell. I do actually think that adidas, with their distribution channels, can help with this. We shall see.

 

[RonJohn]

That may be true in some cases, just as I'm sure there's some stuff for every team that sits there forever. But if there's not stuff in the first place, or only 2 shirts, it's definitely not going to sell. I do actually think that adidas, with their distribution channels, can help with this. We shall see.

It is possible that the change to Adidas can change things. However, it isn't Adidas or the GTAA pushing down to the retailers. If the fans buy and demand merchandise on a large scale, then the retailers will change. The retailers demand merchandise from Adidas. Adidas can't demand that the retailers take it. It all depends on us fans, en masse, spending money and demanding more merchandise.

 

[ramblinwreckguru]

It is possible that the change to Adidas can change things. However, it isn't Adidas or the GTAA pushing down to the retailers. If the fans buy and demand merchandise on a large scale, then the retailers will change. The retailers demand merchandise from Adidas. Adidas can't demand that the retailers take it. It all depends on us fans, en masse, spending money and demanding more merchandise.

There's no way to create demand if the stores won't stock GT gear in the first place. I bet that if these stores carried the selection of GT gear that they do in the uga crap, it would sell just fine in comparison. On a smaller scale, the local Publix here in Pooler had GT and uga reusable grocery bags for sale a few months ago. I would buy 1 or 2 GT bags everytime I went in there, but never saw them selling any of the uga bags. I really think a lot of what we're seeing in sports merchandise available has a lot to do with the loyalties of store management.

 

[Gold1]

Neither does Academy Sports, Walmart, Target, etc... But it has nothing to do with the GTAA. It is because when they do stock GT gear, it doesn't sale until it is highly discounted.

My closest Academy Sports does have a few(2 or 3) different GT t-shirts. I know many stories and have posted them here of gear sitting in stores forever. Someone I know purchased $40-$50 GT lawn chairs for $5 or $6 each because they stayed in the Walmart long after all of the mutt, Alabama, and Auburn stuff was gone. The store had to discount them heavily before anyone would pick them up. They aren't even GT fans just like the chairs. My local Walmart STILL has half a box of Orange Bowl Blu-Rays. Three and a half years later they still haven't sold. GTAA nor Adidas can make a store carry something if the store firmly believes they can't sell it.

Yeah that's not true

 

[RonJohn]

There's no way to create demand if the stores won't stock GT gear in the first place. I bet that if these stores carried the selection of GT gear that they do in the uga crap, it would sell just fine in comparison. On a smaller scale, the local Publix here in Pooler had GT and uga reusable grocery bags for sale a few months ago. I would buy 1 or 2 GT bags everytime I went in there, but never saw them selling any of the uga bags. I really think a lot of what we're seeing in sports merchandise available has a lot to do with the loyalties of store management.

The big problem is that many of the stores HAVE stocked GT gear in the past. When it didn't sell, they stopped. In my local Walmart, when they have season DVDs of the mutts, they sell several boxes in a few days. They couldn't sell 1 box of a big bowl win in the biggest GT year of the last decade.(And as I said earlier in this thread, that half a box is still on the shelf waiting to be sold.) I don't believe at all that a Target or Walmart manager will allow his team loyalties to interfere with his store's income. Add to that the fact that depending on where you are around Atlanta you will see mutt gear along with: Alabama gear, Auburn gear, Tennessee gear, and Clemson gear. If their only factor in deciding which gear to carry was their team preference, you wouldn't see the mix of gear depending on what side of Atlanta you are on.

In 2014 my closest Academy Sports had a larger collection of GT gear including polos, dress shirts, hats, etc. A friend of mine purchased a couple of shirts on the way to the ACC Championship game. Much of that gear was on the discount rack in Feb of 2015. Even if the manager of that store is a big GT fan, putting a lot of gear on the discount rack during/after the best season in recent history is a very difficult problem to overcome.

If GT fans buy the GT gear as soon as it hits the shelves, and then order gear in store when it sells out, then the store managers will take notice. If a very few, as compared to overall store patrons, complain on GT message boards that their local store doesn't have enough gear they will not care or even know that an extremely small percentage of their customers are complaining. If fans want their local Hibbett or Academy to carry GT gear, then buy all of the GT gear as soon as it is in the store or order GT gear in store as soon as it is on the website. Fans need to prove merchandise will currently move, because history shows pretty clearly that it will not.

 

[ramblinwreckguru]

The big problem is that many of the stores HAVE stocked GT gear in the past. When it didn't sell, they stopped. In my local Walmart, when they have season DVDs of the mutts, they sell several boxes in a few days. They couldn't sell 1 box of a big bowl win in the biggest GT year of the last decade.(And as I said earlier in this thread, that half a box is still on the shelf waiting to be sold.) I don't believe at all that a Target or Walmart manager will allow his team loyalties to interfere with his store's income. Add to that the fact that depending on where you are around Atlanta you will see mutt gear along with: Alabama gear, Auburn gear, Tennessee gear, and Clemson gear. If their only factor in deciding which gear to carry was their team preference, you wouldn't see the mix of gear depending on what side of Atlanta you are on.

In 2014 my closest Academy Sports had a larger collection of GT gear including polos, dress shirts, hats, etc. A friend of mine purchased a couple of shirts on the way to the ACC Championship game. Much of that gear was on the discount rack in Feb of 2015. Even if the manager of that store is a big GT fan, putting a lot of gear on the discount rack during/after the best season in recent history is a very difficult problem to overcome.

If GT fans buy the GT gear as soon as it hits the shelves, and then order gear in store when it sells out, then the store managers will take notice. If a very few, as compared to overall store patrons, complain on GT message boards that their local store doesn't have enough gear they will not care or even know that an extremely small percentage of their customers are complaining. If fans want their local Hibbett or Academy to carry GT gear, then buy all of the GT gear as soon as it is in the store or order GT gear in store as soon as it is on the website. Fans need to prove merchandise will currently move, because history shows pretty clearly that it will not.

What area do you live in so I can make sure not to move there?

In all seriousness, when I say loyalty, I mean more of a hatred for anything GT along with a love for the cesspool and everything sec. I'm sure they'll carry plenty of stuff of teams they're just indifferent about. When I see GT stuff here in Pooler, I buy it. Problem is I've only seen GT grocery bags at Publix since I've been here since November.

 

[RonJohn]

In all seriousness, when I say loyalty, I mean more of a hatred for anything GT along with a love for the cesspool and everything sec. I'm sure they'll carry plenty of stuff of teams they're just indifferent about.

Do you really believe that mutt fans hate GT but are indifferent about Alabama, Auburn, Tennessee, and Clemson?

EDIT: If you want stores to act differently, you will have to do more. Go to Hibbett sports and order GT gear at the store. Go to Academy in Brunswick and order GT gear in the store. It will take you and a few thousand others doing the same thing to change the retailers attitudes. It can be done, but it takes more than just complaining that the stores aren't doing it by themselves.

 

[JacketFromUGA]

just makes me miss the Tailgaters Alley in Gwinnett

 

[ramblinwreckguru]

Do you really believe that mutt fans hate GT but are indifferent about Alabama, Auburn, Tennessee, and Clemson?

Why yes. I think they would rather see all those other teams in their store than GT.

 

[RonJohn]

just makes me miss the Tailgaters Alley in Gwinnett

Which I think actually makes my point even more. The one store that carried a lot of GT gear went out of business.

I am not trying to say that stores should not carry GT gear. I am trying to say that GT fans are the ones who can control whether they do or not. The Adidas change is an excellent opportunity to change the availability situation. However it is the fans who need to change it. Stores are not going to stock a lot of GT Adidas gear unless they have good reason to believe that GT fans are exuberant about the GT Adidas gear. If GT fans make it clear that they want more gear, and then follow up buy purchasing the gear, then the stores will change their stocking policies. If fans get the store to stock and then don't purchase, it will hurt GT gear availability even more.

 

[ramblinwreckguru]

Which I think actually makes my point even more. The one store that carried a lot of GT gear went out of business.

I am not trying to say that stores should not carry GT gear. I am trying to say that GT fans are the ones who can control whether they do or not. The Adidas change is an excellent opportunity to change the availability situation. However it is the fans who need to change it. Stores are not going to stock a lot of GT Adidas gear unless they have good reason to believe that GT fans are exuberant about the GT Adidas gear. If GT fans make it clear that they want more gear, and then follow up buy purchasing the gear, then the stores will change their stocking policies. If fans get the store to stock and then don't purchase, it will hurt GT gear availability even more.

If they stock it, we will come.

 

[RonJohn]

If they stock it, we will come.

Might be a good slogan, but it isn't historically accurate. The reason I am suggesting ordering gear in store is to offer a reason to the stores to carry more gear. Whining on message boards will do nothing to change their perspective on historical data. Putting our money where our mouths are will.

 

[ramblinwreckguru]

Might be a good slogan, but it isn't historically accurate. The reason I am suggesting ordering gear in store is to offer a reason to the stores to carry more gear. Whining on message boards will do nothing to change their perspective on historical data. Putting our money where our mouths are will.

I really don't think the historical data is as sad as you try to make it. There is an obvious bias in this state. Can't beelieve you haven't seen it.

 

[RonJohn]

I really don't think the historical data is as sad as you try to make it. There is an obvious bias in this state. Can't beelieve you haven't seen it.

I just refuse to believe that it is hopeless and wallow in self pity. I'm an engineer and I look at it from an engineering perspective. I have seen GT gear sit on the shelf while mutt, Alabama, Auburn, and Tenn gear flies off the shelf. As an engineer, I see that as a problem. I purchase gear and I attempt to get others to purchase gear.(on this message board as an example) I try to understand why stores don't carry gear. It seems to me that putting more GT gear on the discount rack than is sold at retail price is a very compelling reason not to carry GT gear. So, I recommend ordering online gear in store instead of online to prove to the retail outlets that there is a demand. What I don't do is complain that obviously some unnamed people are keeping us GT fans down and there is absolutely nothing we can do about it except vent on online message boards. That will not do anything to get more gear in the stores or to entice GT fans to purchase more.

As I said earlier, once Adidas gear is in store we need to purchase as much as we can and ask for more. Once other brands offer the new Tech Gold and wordmark in stores we need to purchase as much as we can and ask for more. That is how we get the retailers to take notice. Wearing the new GT gear proudly is how we can let casual fans know that we are excited. There is so much that we fans can do instead of just complain.

 

[ramblinwreckguru]

Do you really believe that mutt fans hate GT but are indifferent about Alabama, Auburn, Tennessee, and Clemson?

EDIT: If you want stores to act differently, you will have to do more. Go to Hibbett sports and order GT gear at the store. Go to Academy in Brunswick and order GT gear in the store. It will take you and a few thousand others doing the same thing to change the retailers attitudes. It can be done, but it takes more than just complaining that the stores aren't doing it by themselves.

You may be the only person I know who wants to support a store that treats their school/team like crap.

 

[RonJohn]

You may be the only person I know who wants to support a store that treats their school/team like crap.

I am pragmatic and less sensitive. I understand not stocking items that will not sell. I have seen first hand that GT gear does not sell. I don't take it personally that a local store understands that mutt gear sells better than GT gear. I understand that if we want them to sell GT gear then we need to impress upon them that we will purchase GT gear.

You previously said that if items are stocked that you will buy it. Now you say that you will not support stores that carry more mutt gear than GT gear. I believe I have made my points as clear as I can possibly make them. I understand that stores carrying more mutt gear that GT gear upsets you. I don't understand what if anything you propose we do to help with the issue. I don't believe we will come to any agreement and we are hijacking a thread meant to post sightings of gear, so I am going to bow out of the conversation.

 

[Gold1]

I am pragmatic and less sensitive. I understand not stocking items that will not sell. I have seen first hand that GT gear does not sell. I don't take it personally that a local store understands that mutt gear sells better than GT gear. I understand that if we want them to sell GT gear then we need to impress upon them that we will purchase GT gear.

You previously said that if items are stocked that you will buy it. Now you say that you will not support stores that carry more mutt gear than GT gear. I believe I have made my points as clear as I can possibly make them. I understand that stores carrying more mutt gear that GT gear upsets you. I don't understand what if anything you propose we do to help with the issue. I don't believe we will come to any agreement and we are hijacking a thread meant to post sightings of gear, so I am going to bow out of the conversation.

Im not really sure why you do this but you always make it seem like the GTAA has done all they can in every argument. You really think we've promoted ourselves properly with all these stores? Hell no we haven't and part of that blame goes on the GTAA.

 

[RonJohn]

Im not really sure why you do this but you always make it seem like the GTAA has done all they can in every argument. You really think we've promoted ourselves properly with all these stores? Hell no we haven't and part of that blame goes on the GTAA.

Who does the blame go on when gear that does get in the store sits on the shelves until after the season is over and it goes on the discount rack? That is why I put blame squarely on us. We have much more control of this situation than many like to admit.

Blame Peterson. Blame TStan. Blame the GTAA. Blame the GT Board of Trustees. Blame the store managers. Whine all day long. We have control of how much gear we buy and how much money we spend on GT gear. Until we are doing our part I have very little patience for whining and blaming.

 

[ramblinwreckguru]

I am pragmatic and less sensitive. I understand not stocking items that will not sell. I have seen first hand that GT gear does not sell. I don't take it personally that a local store understands that mutt gear sells better than GT gear. I understand that if we want them to sell GT gear then we need to impress upon them that we will purchase GT gear.

You previously said that if items are stocked that you will buy it. Now you say that you will not support stores that carry more mutt gear than GT gear. I believe I have made my points as clear as I can possibly make them. I understand that stores carrying more mutt gear that GT gear upsets you. I don't understand what if anything you propose we do to help with the issue. I don't believe we will come to any agreement and we are hijacking a thread meant to post sightings of gear, so I am going to bow out of the conversation.

Sadly for you, I think you're are alone in your pragmatism. If someone kicks me in the nuts, they won't get a thank you from me. Also, I said nothing about stores having more mutt gear than GT gear. If they have GT gear, I'll buy it if I like it. My issue is with stores who sell no GT gear. Those are the ones who haven't earned my business at all.