Growing Merchandise Storage Needs
Background
Since it’s opening in 1994, the United Center has hosted over forty million guests. The United Center has hosted not only Bulls and Blackhawks home games, but concerts and events including musicians like The Rolling Stones, The Who and Paul McCartney. The venue thought it was time to upgrade capacity for it’s growing merchandise needs.
The Challenge
For live events, storage for merchandising is essential to make sure in-demand items are in-stock to make sales. The United Center’s Madhouse Team Store houses both team’s merchandise including jerseys, hats, t-shirts, shoes, memorabilia, and any other sports gear you can imagine. With that much product to store for both teams, Merchandising Directors Matt Kobe (Bulls) and Laura Clowson (Blackhawks) worked with us to to evaluate their storage needs and get started.
Solution
Our installments took place in the lower level of the East addition below the Madhouse Team Store and began in November of 2016. We started planning with 555 International Design Group, focusing on options, surveys, and storage capacity comparisons.
Through collaboration, we were able to meet the United Centers needs by supplying optimal capacities using 24” 4-Post back-to-back shelving sections on 10 14’ long ActivRAC carriages set on a low profile floor mounted rail. The upright shelving units are 121” tall and we used 53’ of static shelving along the wall for quick access hanger storage for team jerseys.
Organized Merch, Happy Clients
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The United Center managed the project, which was purchased 50/50 by the two franchises. We were given $100,000 budgetary ceiling, and we were brought back on board later on for $15,000 in additions to the equipment and system.
Everyone involved, including the Madhouse Team Store’s Merchandising Manager, were incredibly pleased with the results, how smoothly the system runs and how quickly they were able to increase efficiency. Being familiar with Spacesaver due to previous projects, this was a slam dunk for both the Bulls and the Blackhawks!
Athletic Storage Experts
We’re no amateurs when it comes to athletic storage. In addition to the Bulls, Blackhawks, and Notre Dame Football, we help sport teams, large and small, make sure their locker rooms, equipment storage, and merchandizing facilities are top notch.
