Pocono will host launch, officials say platform will evolve over season
SONOMA, Calif. – The new Fanatics at-track merchandise experience scheduled for launch late next month at Pocono Raceway will give race fans an idea of what’s in store for future NASCAR events.
But officials stressed that the platform will continue to evolve as the season progresses.
“The real goal for us is to learn everything we can offer the best experience we can for the last portion of the ’15 season but make ’16 the real launching pad for what this model will look like when we go to Daytona in February,” Ross Tannenbaum, president of Fanatics Authentics, said Saturday at Sonoma Raceway.
Driver-specific merchandise haulers, long a staple at NASCAR events, won’t be phased out entirely, Tannenbaum said, but their use will be based on at-track need and operated as part of the Fanatics effort.
“We know there are people that are going to miss the haulers; we know there are people that are unhappy the haulers are leaving,” he said.
“But when it comes to buying product, we are going to make it easier to buy, with a better selection, with an easier checkout, have a more controlled environment, which should make everybody happy at the end of the day.”
The “Trackside Superstore” will initially consist of four main structures encompassing approximately 60,000 square feet and featuring $2.5 million in inventory. Individual driver shops, or bays, measure 525 square feet and can be adjusted if necessary.
Additional bays can be used for driver autograph sessions, sponsor promotions or as a site for live broadcasts.
“When we started looking at this we looked at different sized layouts, maybe a small, a medium, a large and decide which one would go to each track,” Tannenbaum said. “The challenge was how do you … deliver the same experience. As we went around to the different tracks and started to learn more, we started to realize the better solution was to build one tent setup that’s set up like your superstore but have the flexibility to add multiple additional locations at a track that does more revenue or is bigger.
“At Pocono (for example) you’re going to see more than just this tent because Pocono is a big layout. We’re actually going to bring some haulers … and put on the backstretch. We’ll put some haulers underneath the grandstands. … As we go around to the different venues, we’ll look and understand what the needs are to handle all of the traffic, and not just stick with just one tent. …
“When you go to a race like Richmond which is really all controlled, everybody kind of comes in the front and it’s easier to shop, this may be all you see at Richmond. But at different tracks, you’ll see additional spots and layouts.”
Steve Phelps, NASCAR Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, called the changes being provided by Fanatics “just a much stronger overall experience for the fan base.
“Not just from a retail standpoint,” he said, “but the whole atmosphere around how the product is going to be merchandised.”