Kristin LoBiondo loves Duke basketball and wanted to be among the first fans to get merchandise after the Duke men's basketball team won the NCAA National Championship.
Following Duke's welcome home celebration April 6 in Cameron Indoor Stadium, LoBiondo stopped by the Duke University Store in the Bryan Center to pick up a T-shirt for herself as well as her dad and sister. She's not done yet.
"I'll probably get a few other things like a hat, and I've been waiting to get a new Duke license plate cover for my car," said LoBiondo, an event coordinator with the Office of Student Affairs and Facilities. "Through high school and college I had a plain Duke license cover that got bent up, so I've been waiting for that moment to get a new one and it's finally here."
LoBiando isn't the only one scooping up Duke basketball gear in the wake of the championship. On the day after the game, Duke Stores estimates that between 20,000 and 22,000 T-shirts were sold through stores on campus, online or at the welcome home rally. There are 27 versions of championship T-shirts among the more than 100 pieces of national champions merchandise sold through Duke Stores.
Top sellers have been the "Locker Room" shirts and hats, as worn by the Blue Devils immediately after their championship win against Butler University.
"The day after the game, we were doing about 15 times more business than we do on a normal day," said Tom Craig, merchandise manager for Duke Stores. "These items will probably be hot commodities through this summer and even into next fall."
To help with the increase in stock and sales, Duke Stores have brought in 15 temporary workers to supplement staff. That was helpful for Stephanie Helms Pickett, who showed up at the Bryan Center store at 10:30 a.m. the day after the championship game to buy T-shirts for herself, her husband and her pastor.
"I desired to have a memento as a reminder of the team's significant achievement," said Helms Pickett, director of assessment and professional development programs for Student Affairs. "I'm an absolute basketball fan and bought a shirt for myself out of pride and excitement of being a part of the Duke community."
With such a strong demand, Craig said he expects Duke Stores to generate more revenue from selling championship merchandise.
"This has been like graduation, alumni weekend and summer campus tours all rolled into one," he said. "It's like our own little stimulus package."