Stores to offer lots of options

Fans of the Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta United who also view shopping as a sport will find plenty of engag- ing options at the new Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

There are 15 retail locations throughout the stadium including the main store: an 8,000-square-foot, twostory team store near the

main entrance at gates two and three. This superstore promises to be fully stocked with the

most comprehensive selection of Falcons and United merchandise available in the entire state. It also features a large collection of Mercedes-Benz Stadium gear, including T-shirts, hoodies and headwear.

Standards like tailgating gear, hats and the jerseys of popular players such as Matt Ryan, Julio Jones and Devonta Freeman are stocked in a range of styles and sizes. There are also quite a few unique and limited-edition items and memorabilia such as Falcons-themed fidget spinners and an Atlanta United wireless USB keyboard.

The new 2017 Sideline Apparel includes several styles of hats from New Era, pullover jackets, hoodies and much more at prices rang- ing from $26 for a knit hat to $180 for the Nike Sideline Alpha Fly Performance Half- Zip Pullover jacket.

Retail sales for all events at the stadium are operated by Fanatics, a top name in officially licensed sports merchandise. Though the company is most known for its e-commerce, it has recently been expanding into brickand-mortar operations nationwide. The partnership gives fans access to more sizes and a wider range of merchandise, including more customized and limited-edition products, said officials of AMB Sports and Entertainment, parent company of the Falcons and Atlanta United. “When we looked at Fanatics, they come with so much expertise in this space that we thought establishing a partnership would assure us a much better online experience for our fans, but also in-venue as well,” said Mike Gomes, senior vice president of fan experience for AMB Sports and Entertainment, in an interview with the AJC.

In addition to the main retail store, there are several smaller team retail shops in the stadium. There are two shops on the field level, while the 100 and 200 levels each have three retail spaces. The 300 level has four retail shops, and the suite levels also have a total of three retail stores: two on the S1 level and one on the S2 level. On nongame days, the main store is open Monday to Saturday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 6 p.m. On game days it is open from the time gates open to the end of the event.