Bids sought to lift merchandise sales

FAYETTEVILLE — A request for proposals has been published by the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville seeking help in boosting revenue from the sale of licensed merchandise at athletic events and online.

The request for proposals, or RFP, was published Feb. 12.

“The goals of the RFP process include substantial merchandise revenue growth for the University,” the bid request document states.

Proposal documents list $1.21 million in 2016-17 sales for retail shops at athletic venues, including the campus football stadium. Net online sales totaled $899,939 for the same year and refer to sales made via a link from the main UA athletics web page.

UA now receives a 25 percent commission on net sales, with a royalty guarantee of $250,000 yearly, according to proposal documents.

Each bidder is asked to provide a fee structure through which the university would be paid and a royalty percentage of gross sales. If selected, bidders would be granted rights to sell licensed merchandise as specified and would have certain obligations, such as training staff members and workers.

The request for proposals mentions a planned new 2,200-square-foot retail location in the north end zone of Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium, which is undergoing a $160 million renovation.