How the Miami Heat lost their top retail seller but still dominated NBA retail sales

Despite losing their number one player in terms of jersey sales prior to the start of the 2014/15 NBA season, the Miami HEAT still finished number one in team NBA retail sales this year, for the fourth consecutive season.

Furthermore, the sales levels recorded by Miami HEAT during the 2012, 2013 and 2014 NBA Playoffs and NBA Finals have yet to be topped by any of the teams in the 2015 NBA Playoffs, including the teams currently competing in the NBA Finals. It is unlikely that either team reaches or surpasses the sales marks set by Miami HEAT for the NBA Playoffs, NBA Finals and post-NBA Finals. In fact, Miami HEAT’s 2014 retail sales broke records.

The Miami HEAT are the current and only five-time winner of the NBA Retailer of the Year Award. The award recognises the NBA’s most successful merchandising operations in the categories of innovative marketing and merchandising programs, breadth of product assortment, customer service, consumer shopping experience, and overall sales success.

Brian Keegan, NBA Vice President of Global Retail Development explains "the Miami HEAT continued to demonstrate its best-in-class retail operations throughout the last full season, 2013/14

“The HEAT’s ability to introduce new and creative merchandising and marketing initiatives to effectively sell an extensive assortment of products in-arena, out of arena, and online is the reason this organization is a five-time winner of this award.”

The HEAT has been among the top 10 teams in NBA retail sales every year since 2002, among the top five teams in retail sales for eight years, has led the NBA in ‘retail sales per cap’ (average dollar spend) for each of the past four years.

The HEAT’s 2014 ‘retail sales per cap’ was the highest in NBA history, beating their own 2013 record.

The Miami HEAT's Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Michael McCullough is speaking at the Sydney Cricket Ground next week as the Lead International Keynote at the 2015 Sports Fan Summit.

McCullough will explain on how the Miami HEAT have achieved their retail success.

The 2015 Sports Fan Summit, the premier sports marketing event in the Southern Hemisphere, is being held at the Sydney Cricket Ground on 23rd and 24th June.

Australasian Leisure Management is a proud supporter of the Sports Fan Summit.

For more information on the 2015 Sports Fan Summit, click here for details in the Australasian Leisure Management industry Calendar.

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