Philadelphia Phillies Report 2012 Merchandise Sales Down 60 Percent From 2011
According to a report by SportsOneSource.com, the Philadelphia Phillies have seen a tremendous decrease in merchandise sales from the 2011 season to 2012.
Last year, the Philadelphia Phillies ranked number two in Major League Baseball in merchandise sales, trailing the New York Yankees and recording a ridiculous 16.2 percent of all sales in team merchandise.
That’s basically one-sixth of everything that all 30 of the baseball teams sold. It’s not surprising that the Phillies trailed the Yankees, but I am surprised at how high the percentage is.
This season, the Phillies are still second in the sport in merchandise sales, again trailing the Yankees. But they’ve taken a major hit in the percentage of all sales.
In the 2012 season, the Phillies are racking up just 8.9 percent of all sales by MLB teams. That’s a 60 percent decrease from the 2011 season, a sizable amount.
The reason is obvious. Last season, the Phillies were the best team in baseball for the second consecutive season. They won 102 games, setting a single-season franchise record.
But this year the Phillies are suffering through one of the most disappointing seasons in franchise history. They will likely end up missing the postseason for the first time since 2006, and it would be shocking if the Phillies didn’t suffer their first losing season since 2002 (when they were 80-81).
“We’re down. Definitely,” said Scott Brandreth, the team’s director of merchandising. “Our fans know when we’re not playing well, and that affects the sales numbers.”
If the 60 percent decrease continues, the Phillies will have a revenue of about $487 million, down from $812 in 2011.
Interestingly enough, the Phillies’ officials said that they are selling less of practically everything except for Phillie Phanatic caps and Carlos Ruiz memorabilia.
This article was written by Bryn Swartz, the top writer for the Philadelphia Eagles and a featured NFL columnist on Rant Sports. Bryn has written more than 1000 articles in less than two years as a member of Rant Sports. His blog, Eagles Central, was named the 2010 Ballhyped Sports Blog of the Year. To read a portfolio of Bryn’s best work, click here.
