San Diego Union-Tribune (Sunday)
SAN DIEGO FC SETS UP RETAIL SHOP AT MISSION VALLEY MALL
MLS soccer team hoping to build on early enthusiasm
A month after more than 5,000 people showed up at Snapdragon Stadium for the unveiling of San Diego Football Club’s colors and crest, the Major League Soccer expansion team is hoping to build on the early enthusiasm for its hoodies and hats with a semi-permanent storefront at the Mission Valley shopping mall.
The temporary store, which is called Eighteen Threads, opens its doors today just in time for the holiday retail season. It features the team’s complete assortment of official merchandise, including the sold-out collectors pin and two exclusive apparel items not sold online.
San Diego FC has signed a short-term lease for what it’s calling a pop-up store, meaning Eighteen Threads will remain at the Mission
San Diego Football Club’s pop-up retail store, Eighteen Threads, opens today in the Mission Valley shopping mall in San Diego.
Valley mall through February — and perhaps longer, depending on demand. The store name is meant to reflect the organization’s commitment to represent all 18 cities in San Diego County.
“We were super enthused by the response at the (brand) reveal. We were tasked to do something quick that didn’t feel so pop-up-y,” said Bruno Meli, the executive in charge of
the team’s retail strategy. “We wanted to make sure that it looked like a home of ours. And in a week and a half, we’ve put this together. ... It’s been a lot of sleepless nights, but we’re doing it for the fans, for the city.”
San Diego FC, which officially became Major League Soccer’s 30th franchise in mid-may, is scheduled to begin playing in February 2025 at Snapdragon Stadium. The organization, which has a staff of around 40 people and growing, has its corporate headquarters in Little Italy and is working to build in short order a $150 million training complex on the Sycuan Reservation.
The team’s physical retail debut follows what Meli characterized as a greaterthan-anticipated demand for San Diego FC gear at the October brand reveal. That night, the organization sold more than $200,000 worth of merchandise over a twohour period, a spokesperson for the team said.
The most popular clothing item to date, he said, is the unisex white sweatshirt with the San Diego FC name on the front and the monochrome logo on the back, which retails for $64.99.
The in-store experience is limited to just a portion of the 1,900-square-foot shop, with the team still figuring out how to manage the rest of the space. The store will eventually offer interactive features, including games and other activities, Meli said.
Eighteen Threads is located in suite 337 at the Mission Valley mall, formerly known as Westfield Mission Valley East, at 1640 Camino Del Rio North. The storefront was the former home of Papaya Clothing and is opposite the shuttered Macy’s store at the east end of the mall. The store is open during mall hours, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday. Prices vary, with T-shirts starting at $32.
Bruno Meli, the executive in charge of the team’s retail strategy, talks Saturday about the process of getting the store set up and running.