For many, the Super Bowl marks a time of great commerce — especially for the fans of the teams that are playing in it.
But while the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots faithful might not agree on much this week, they’re both united in their disappointment over the available — and unavailable — merchandise.
As the football world descended upon the Bay Area on Monday, several pictures of NFL Shop’s on-site inventory emerged. And the online backlash was so severe that it prompted Fanatics to take to social media to issue an apology, while attempting to explain why some Seahawks and Patriots Super Bowl jerseys aren’t even available in the teams’ correct colors.
“NFL fans, we’ve seen your jersey feedback, and we take it very seriously. We’ve let Patriots and Seahawks fans down with product availability – we own that and we are sorry,” the post reads.
“This Super Bowl matchup has created unprecedented challenges for us because of the massive surge in demand we saw from Patriots and Seahawks fans. Both teams went from missing the playoffs last season to being in the Super Bowl, an incredibly rare occurrence that led to these two fanbases buying nearly 400% more jerseys since Thanksgiving vs. last year. Even though we ordered substantially more jerseys for these teams than ever before, we’ve struggled to meet the overwhelming demand to keep team color jerseys in stock, which we know is your expectation. As sports fans, we understand your frustration and we will work tirelessly to be better. ”
Fanatics also stated that it is bringing in more team colored jerseys daily, while continuing to offer alternatives such as black Patriots jerseys. The online retail giant also insisted that despite online sentiment, the jerseys being offered are the same quality as its other jerseys, while noting that free returns are available to those unsatisfied with their purchases.
“We want you to know that we’re listening and we’re ready with a deep assortment of jerseys and fan gear for whoever wins on Sunday,” Fanatics wrote. “There is nothing better than serving passionate sports fans and we value your feedback above all.”
While Fanatics’ explanation regarding the unlikely nature of a Seahawks-Patriots Super Bowl makes sense, it’s also tough to comprehend how a company that was last valued at $31 billion wasn’t more prepared. Especially when considering the significant foothold that it has established in the sports apparel space, which has been the cornerstone of its growing empire.
This isn’t the first time that Fanatics has faced criticism regarding both quality and a lack of availability of in-demand products. But with Fanatics serving as the exclusive manufacturer and distributor of all NFL Nike products, it will ultimately be up to the company to correct its course, as there aren’t any alternatives for fans to turn to when it comes to official merchandise.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.