Loyal NASCAR fans line up for all the NASCAR licensed merchandise
When finished with this article, visit www.NASCAR-THINGS.com to see NASCAR Merchandise
Those who observe the sport of NASCAR attribute several reasons to its’ success. Decades of tradition and a grass roots start are a few of the reasons given for the sport’s growth. The origins of the sport in the “bootlegging” days and the humble start of several of it’s first champions seems to be a positive factor to fans in this day of the spoiled, babied, disrespectful pro athlete.
Surprisingly, 40% of current race fans are female and 53% work in white-collar or skilled labor jobs. And even with this diversity, the numbers continue to be impressive; yearly attendance at tracks is above 7 million and over 275 million Americans view on the tube.
The NASCAR brand has become recognized worldwide as a leading sports property. More Fortune 500 businesses use investment in NASCAR racing than any other spectator sport. Landor Associates was quoted in December 2004 as saying “NASCAR was the number 6 brand in 2004 and is projected to be the number 2 brand in 2005, in front of Google and iPod,”
From its modest origins in the South, NASCAR has exploded to immense popularity across the whole United States recently. From the first races held in 1948 to the current NEXTEL Cup and Busch series, NASCAR has become arguably the number one spectator sport in The USA, featuring 75 million fanatical fans.
The NASCAR recipe is one that no other spectator sport uses. Every week, the best teams (drivers) are competing directly against each other. Unlike, for instance the NFL, where you could have to wait for weeks for that big competition, at a NASCAR race, you can watch number 1 challenging number 2 every week. It’s almost like having the World Series of this sport every week.
Race followers seem to have a large appetite for merchandise that shows support for their preferred driver, whether it is by putting on NASCAR apparel, buying NASCAR accessories for their car or suv, or even decorating their house. NASCAR clocks, even NASCAR blankets, sheets and wall tapestries are popping up in homes everywhere.
Within the big NASCAR products market, robust sub markets come out. NASCAR collectibles have become very big just by themselves. A potpourri of products from plaques and signed photographs to diecast cars are gobbled up, in part due to growth, but also in hopes of gain in value for the collectables market.
Even though the NASCAR diecast market has slackened lately, it is still reasonable in strength. As drivers alter their paint schemes, it permits makers to grow the products several times over in this segment and that helps keep sales moving.
From little local raceways in the Southland, NASCAR has become very big business today. Including TV revenues, sponsorship money, and licensed product sales, NASCAR generates large dollars today. NASCAR merchandise gross revenue now have exploded to surpass $2 billion annually and the markets continue to remain impressive. This is built on a 250% gain from 1995 to 2004.
Clothes such as NASCAR jackets, NASCAR jerseys and t-shirts, etc appear to be flourishing in growth as product producers bring out expanded merchandise and are even including more higher value items like leather jackets and specialty items like NASCAR jewelry. The true fan can even dress the entire household with recent introductions of entire NASCAR kids clothing and youth lines.
Where will it all end? I don’t imagine we know, but when I see corporate secretaries getting into NASCAR hats of all colors and white collar managers putting on NASCAR shirts of every description with photos of “Junior” plastered on them, I wonder if there is a limit to this marketplace.
