CINCINNATI — Small businesses in Cincinnati are seeing a major increase in sales thanks to the Bengals' playoff run. For fans looking for last minute Bengals apparel, they’ve flocked to Cincy Shirts, which seems to be one of the only stores that has Bengals gear in the area.
What You Need To Know
- Cincy Shirts is one of the only stores in the area that has Bengals gear available
- That's because of their on-demand printing options, where you can choose your design and shirt, and it'll be ready in just a few hours
- The Hyde Park location garnered $14,000 in sales on Friday alone
- Employees said they're thankful for all of the support, especially after the pandemic
The phone has been ringing off the hook, and the door never seems to fully close. But that’s the norm at Cincy Shirts, opening at 11 a.m. and having a store full of customers just five minutes later.
“We have multiple team members that are home-based that are all coming into the stores, to the warehouse to help because it’s just all hands on deck every single day right now," said Sam Fessenden, a digital marketer with Cincy Shirts.
Fessenden usually works at home, but now does a little bit of everything to keep things afloat.
The rush is thanks to the Bengals. With a historic season, everyone wants some new gear. But it’s almost impossible to find. However, Cincy Shirts' on-demand printing allows for enough of merchandise to go around.
“Now we have on-demand printing which (has) made it an advantage because no one else has Bengals stock right now," Fessenden said. "And so we are able to print what people are looking for within a few hours.”
The process allows customers to order any print they see on their website onto any shirt, ready in just a few hours. Fessenden said the city’s excitement has helped Cincy Shirts to record numbers, selling $14,000 worth of merchandise on Friday at the Hyde Park location alone.
“For so long, we were a baseball town, and now it’s really becoming a football city," she said.
Fessenden said the ongoing support from the community is especially appreciated after the past two years.
“Everyone’s been so grateful, so excited and just so understanding," she said. "Just grateful for the support to local businesses especially during the pandemic, we’ve been hit the hardest with it. It’s just amazing.”
Fessenden said that the last three weeks have been non-stop, and they don’t see an end in sight. She also recommends if you do want to come out and get gear, to come out in the afternoons because those tend to be a little bit less busy.