Lisa Erickson used to shop for her U. Kansas T-shirts at Joe College before it closed in March. With so many options, she wasn’t sure where she would buy her University apparel after that — until she saw a friend wearing a white fitted short-sleeve shirt with a Jayhawk on the front.
“I asked her where she got it, and she said GTM,” said Erickson, a senior from Wichita.
So she went to GTM and has continued to buy her KU gear there.
GTM Sportswear, 1008 23rd St., opened in 2009 and is one of about 15 stores in Lawrence selling KU clothes. In the last few years, more KU stores have popped up around town. With the competition growing in an already-saturated market, the stores must find new ways to stand out from competitors.
“We try to offer different apparel and a variety from different vendors,” said Channing Payne, a senior from Wichita and a sales associate at the store. Channing said the store tries to stay on top of its competitors’ merchandise. Its buyer has experience and contacts in the business, which helps to stay ahead of competition, she said.
GTM also makes some of its own KU clothes.
Campus Cloth, 914 Massachusetts St., opened three years ago, and uses lower prices to lure customers in its doors, said owner and manager Charles Easter.
Joe College filled a niche with lower-priced T-shirts, and Campus Cloth is trying to snag that market with its deal of three T-shirts for $25.
After 35 years of retail experience, Esater said he knows that it’s survival of the fittest when it comes to his competition.
“When downtown turns into restaurants, KU stores, or bars — there’s not that much diversity,” he said. “It’s a little bit of a struggle, but we’ll do our best.”
Campus Cloth focuses on selling vintage-inspired shirts, using older designs to make it look like a more fashionable store. This helps to differentiate it from the more athletic-style apparel stores.
One of those athletic stores, Jock’s Nitch, 837 Massachusetts St., has been open for 20 years, and takes a different approach when it comes to staying afloat amidst all its competition — most of which is found within one block.
Jock’s Nitch is a licensed printer of KU merchandise, ensuring it has certain designs other stores legally can’t sell — an opportunity that the store had to apply for.
“With the infrastructure we have in place, we’re confident in our product,” said Ryan Owens, Jock’s Nitch manager and a 2000 University graduate. “It’s a very saturated market, and it does get competitive, but we’re confident with our selection.”
Jock’s Nitch has been building its reputation for two decades, and it has gone through many changes. But Owens said, at this point, he feels as though the store has the right approach.
“It doesn’t hurt to have competition, either,” he said. “It keeps you on your toes.”
One way to stand out is to serve a different clientele. Baily Bosc, a sales associate at 1865 Uniquely KU in The Oread Hotel, 1200 Oread Ave., said the store caters mostly to alumni and tourists staying at the hotel. The store has two brands, Retro and Banner 47, that are unique to it.
“They’re a little higher priced and nicer brands,” Bosc said.
Co-owner of the Kansas Sampler, 921 Massachusetts St., Peg Liebert, said the store first came to Lawrence last month with the goal of being an alumni store.
“We’ve worked really hard for alumni stuff and to have things that grandparents can gift,” she said.
The Kansas Sampler, a chain store, also has locations in Topeka and Kansas City, Mo. The decision to open a Lawrence location came after reccomendations from friends and colleagues and the opportunity to move into the building where the Blue Heron used to be. After the owners analyzed the business plan, Liebert said the the decision was easy.
“I think our pricing is very competitive,” she said. “There are products that we offer that will last longer that has quality.”
With the abudance of KU apparel stores, there is no shortage of Jayhawk gear for KU fans — and no shortage of competition for the stores that sell it.