WEST ALLIS, Wis.— Ask any small business owner, and they will tell you that sales can sometimes be as unpredictable as an NFL season. 

However, the COVID-19 pandemic is one variable few businesses could have ever anticipated. 

That is exactly the case for the Green and Gold Zone, a West Allis store dedicated to selling all things Green Bay Packers, as well as merchandise from other Wisconsin sports teams. Owner Andrew Hundt, who took over the business in 2019, says the lockdown-related closures combined with a lack of sports taking place made for a huge reduction in business. 

“It was so incredibly strange. It tested our will and fortitude, had months we were locked down, months without sports, a strange year," says Hundt.

Fortunately, the Green Bay Packers' strong performance and playoff showing are having a positive impact on business. Hundt says sales in December and January have been up significantly from where they were in most of 2020. 

“When they are winning it helps," says Hundt.

Hundt says he has seen a shift in the type of items people are looking to buy. Since people are not going to the games in person, and more people are watching from home, Packers loungewear like sweatpants and sweatshirts has become their fastest-growing area of sales. ​