from Buffalo Business First
New Era Cap has retail outlets in sports and entertainment venues worldwide — and now the Buffalo-headquartered company has one in its hometown.
Representatives from New Era Cap, the Buffalo Sabres and Roswell Park Cancer Institute officially dedicated the company’s retail outlet in First Niagara Center on Saturday.
And they used the ceremony to begin a month-long program that will benefit the hospital’s patients.
The outlet, located on the arena’s 100 level and overlooking Alumni Plaza, is New Era’s second in downtown Buffalo. The company has a store in its Delaware Avenue headquarters.
The First Niagara Center outlet will be open during Buffalo Sabres and Buffalo Bandits games. It features a variety of Sabres, Buffalo Bills, Bandits, One Buffalo and even Buffalo Braves caps.
Since it opened earlier this fall, the outlet’s sales are running 25 percent ahead of projections, company officials said.
New Era this year alone opened 37 retail outlets in Korea and another 10 in North American sports arenas. It may be opening outlets in China next year, said Chris Koch, New Era president and CEO.
To mark the opening, all caps sales in the arena store made until Dec. 31 will be matched by New Era with a Sabres knit cap that will be donated to Roswell Park patients.