NASCAR Merchandise for the Discriminating Fan

 

Don't forget to review all the current NASCAR merchandise after reading this article. Come visit www.nascar-things.com.

The NASCAR brand is now recognized worldwide as a premier sports property. More Fortune 500 companies use investment in NASCAR racing than any other sport. Landor Associates was quoted in December 2004 as stating “NASCAR was the number6 brand in 2004 and is predicted to be the #2 brand in 2005, in front of Google and iPod,”

The NASCAR formula is one that no other spectator sport matches. Each Week, the best teams (drivers) are battling head to head against each other. Unlike, for example the NFL, where you may have to wait for weeks for that critical match up, at a NASCAR race, you can watch number 1 fighting number 2 every week. It’s nearly like having the World Series of this sport every week.

Those who watch the sport attribute several factors to its’ success. Many years of tradition and a grass roots origin are some of the reasons given for the sport’s development. The beginnings of the sport in the “bootlegging” days and the modest background of quite a few of it’s original aces seems to be a positive factor to buffs in this day of the spoiled, pampered, cocky pro athlete.

From its humble roots in the Southland, NASCAR has grown to almost unbelievable popularity across the entire uS lately. From the 1st races started in 1948 to today's NEXTEL Cup and Busch series, NASCAR has become arguably the number one spectator sport in The USA, boasting 75 million loyal fans.

Interestingly, 40% of current race fans are female and 53% work in white-collar or skilled labor jobs. And even with this diversity, the counts continue to be solid; yearly attendance at race tracks is above 7 million and more than 275 million Americans view on the tube.

Within the large NASCAR products market, strong sub markets show up. NASCAR collectibles are large simply by themselves. A potpourri of things from plaques and signed pictures to diecast cars are gobbled up, partially due to popularity, but also in hopes of increase in value for the collectibles market.

From little local race tracks in the Southland, NASCAR is now very big business today. With television revenues, sponsorship dollars, and licensed product sales, NASCAR generates huge dollars today. NASCAR merchandise gross revenue now have risen to surpass $2 billion annually and the markets continue to stay robust. This is built on a 250% increase from 1995 to 2004.

Race fans seem to have a large appetite for products that shows endorsement for their favored driver, whether it is by getting into NASCAR apparel, grabbing NASCAR accessories for their car or sport utility, or even decorating their residence. NASCAR clocks, even NASCAR throw blankets, bed sheets and wall tapestries are showing up in homes everyplace.

Clothes such as NASCAR jackets, NASCAR jerseys and t-shirts, etc appear to be growing in growth as product producers bring out expanded merchandise and are even including more high-priced things like leather jackets and specialty products like NASCAR jewelry. The true fan can even dress the entire household with recent introductions of complete NASCAR kids clothing and youth lines.

Even though the NASCAR diecast arena has softened recently, it is still reasonable in size. As drivers change their paint schemes, it permits producers to develop the merchandise several times over in this segment and that helps keep gross revenue going.

Where will it all end? I don’t think we know, but when I see corporate secretaries wearing NASCAR hats and white collar managers getting into NASCAR shirts with photos of “Junior” plastered on them, I begin to doubt if there is a limit to this marketplace.