by Caroline Gabsewics
Staff Writer
Discount Pro-Wear, the Landing’s featured sports retail store, was impressed with the business they did the day before the Gator Bowl, but it wasn’t the best.
“Sales were very good Monday (New Years Eve),” said Shenoa Anderson, manager of Discount Pro-Wear. “But we weren’t very impressed with sales on Tuesday (New Years Day).”
Anderson thought sales would flow through Tuesday, but that didn’t happen.
“We even stayed open after the game for a while, but we didn’t have too many sales,” she said.
The day before Tuesday’s Konica Minolta Gator Bowl between Texas Tech and Virginia was a different story, however. Anderson said it was about five to one, University of Virginia to Texas Tech fans.
“Monday we were expecting a shipment of University of Virginia and Texas Tech merchandise and it didn’t even hit the rack,” she said. “They were going through the boxes before we could even hang them on our racks.”
Discount Pro-Wear was selling the teams’ sweatshirts, T-shirts, jerseys and hats. She added that only the Gator Bowl Committee can sell “Gator Bowl” merchandise.
“It has been better compared to other Gator Bowls,” said Anderson. “It was probably in our top five — definitely better than last year.”
Georgia Tech and West Virginia played in last year’s Gator Bowl. Anderson added the store’s best business came during the 2003 Gator Bowl when North Carolina State played Notre Dame.
Anderson said Discount Pro-Wear does better when the Gator Bowl doesn’t invite a team that played and lost in the ACC Championship game.
“When they bring them back it doesn’t fare well for us and the same goes for the fans — they don’t want to go somewhere twice,” she said.
That wasn’t the case this year, because Boston College and Virginia Tech played in the ACC Championship game.
Wednesday, Sandra and Bill Cox of Union Hall, Va. were shopping for some University of Virginia gear before they headed home. Although they admitted they weren’t happy their team lost 31-28 on a last-second Red Raiders field goal, they still enjoyed their time in Jacksonville.
“We had a great time,” said Bill. “We’ve driven through Jacksonville before, but this was our first time visiting.”
Sandra and Bill’s daughter is a University of Virginia graduate.
“Everything was really nice from the parade to the pep rally — we had a great time,” said Sandra.