Sales soaring at Colts’ Lucas Oil Stadium shop

It’s hard to imagine better weather to peel the roof back at Lucas Oil Stadium than Indianapolis Colts fans enjoyed Sunday for the Houston Texans game.

Sunny skies and temperatures in the high 60s with a gentle breeze put a smile on many of Colts’ fans faces.

But there’s at least some who were hoping Mother Nature would dial down the thermostat.
 
The Sunday before—the Nov. 1 game against the San Francisco 49ers—a chill in the air made the cash registers in the Colts Pro Shop on the north end of the stadium ring more often than ever.

The folks at Indianapolis-based MainGate, who manage the store for the Colts, said they sold more goods during the 49ers game than during any other day since the stadium opened last fall.

Apparently Colts fans are still adjusting to life outside the comfy confines of the temperature controlled RCA Dome. MainGate officials reported a run on jackets, sweatshirts, blankets and gloves before and during the 49ers game.

One shop worker said when the store ran out of gloves, Colts fans began buying socks to put over their hands. Apparently Peyton Manning isn’t the only one inside the stadium capable of calling an audible when necessary.

The shop was also rocking before and during the Texans game with shoulder-to-shoulder traffic being the norm. It was so crowded 30 minutes before kick-off, scores of people turned away because they simply couldn’t get in the door.

Overall, stadium pro shop sales are seeing a double-digit percentage increase over last year with the last two games pushing sales increases to around 20 percent.

“Sales are strong and we are seeing increasing sales as the season continues,” said MainGate CEO Dave Morknek.