U. SAUCON TWP., Pa. – Phillies, Eagles, Flyers and 76ers fans will soon have a new spot to stock up on jerseys, hats and other gear in Lehigh County.
Rally House, a specialty sports store chain offering an expansive selection of apparel, gifts, home decor and other types of merchandise representing local NCAA, NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL and MLS teams, is planning to open a new retail location this summer at Promenade Saucon Valley in Upper Saucon Township, according to a news release.
The new 5,903-square-foot Rally House will be located between Barnes & Noble and J.Crew Factory.
“We are excited to welcome Rally House to our fast-growing retail lineup,” said Jaclyn Palmeri, vice president of leasing for the shopping center. “And we know our Steelers, Eagles, Penguins, Pirates, Phillies and other fans will appreciate the ease with which they can now support their favorite teams.”
Rally House has one of the largest selections of officially licensed team gear and local gifts, with its product assortment including fan favorites like jerseys, headwear, drinkware, home decor, collectibles and more.
The popular retailer also provides customers with a way to show their local support with an array of exclusive products celebrating beloved area destinations and landmarks featured on items like apparel, drinkware and hats.
Rally House, a specialty sports store chain offering an expansive selection of apparel, gifts, home decor and other types of merchandise representing local NCAA, NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL and MLS teams, opened a location in March at 244 N. West End Blvd. in Richland Township.
In March, Rally House opened its 15th store in the Philadelphia region and its first location in the Quakertown area at 244 N. West End Blvd. in Richland Township.
The new store fills the space previously occupied by Tuesday Morning, a home goods retailer, in the Trainer’s Corner shopping center.
Rally House traces its origins to 1989, when Tim and Mabel “Peg” Liebert started “Mabel’s Kitchen,” a catalog featuring Kansas-related apparel, gifts and other merchandise.
Mabel’s Kitchen evolved into another business, “Kansas Sampler,” which featured five Kansas City area stores selling Kansas Jayhawks, Kansas State Wildcats, Kansas City Chiefs and Kansas City Royals gear.
The company experienced great success, and the Lieberts eventually decided to expand the business to other markets under the “Rally House” name in 2008, according to a company description.
Today, the Kansas-based Rally House has more than 200 locations across 19 states.
In addition to the new Quakertown area store and the forthcoming Upper Saucon store, there are more than a dozen other regional locations, including a Lehigh Valley shop in Lower Macungie Township, two other Bucks County stores and several locations in Montgomery County.
A Rally House location operates at the Hamilton Crossings shopping center in Lower Macungie Township.
Rally House stays true to its roots by providing “an impeccable selection of local and team-related apparel and gifts, including exclusive designs available only at Rally House,” according to the company’s website.
Regional stores offer a wide array of merchandise, including clothing, blankets, glassware and signs, featuring logos and designs of local NCAA, NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, and MLS teams in addition to locally inspired apparel, gifts and food.
Customers can browse apparel such as T-shirts, sweatshirts, coats and shorts, along with footwear and fashion accessories such as slippers, hats, scarves and jewelry.
A wide variety of other gifts and home decor include items such as coasters, stickers, magnets, wall plaques, license plate frames, plush toys, socks and baby items.
No two Rally House stores are identical.
“They each carry merchandise customized and tailored to the specific collegiate and professional teams in that area,” a message on the company’s website reads.
Joining a growing retail lineup
Promenade Saucon Valley, which debuted in 2006 with more than 70 tenants, last month announced a “brand refresh” that included changing its name from its original moniker, “The Promenade Shops at Saucon Valley.”
The new name drops the word ‘Shops’ from its moniker to reflect the center’s expanding tenant mix and evolving focus on becoming an increasingly popular community hub and gathering place, according to a news release.
The brand refresh also comes with a new color palette as well as a series of upgrades that include new soft seating in Town Square and at The Patio and breezeway; an upgrade to the gazebo; a freshly painted star at the pop jet fountain; shades over the outdoor amphitheater seating; and new property-wide signage upgrades coming in the fall.
The tenant lineup at Promenade Saucon Valley continues to grow, with its most recent addition, J.Crew Factory, opening on April 11.
Other tenants joining the shopping center’s roster in 2024 include Fulton Bank, offering a broad array of financial products and services in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware and Virginia; and Slime Time II, a family-friendly entertainment venue allowing children of all ages to make their own slime.
These businesses join a string of other new Promenade Saucon Valley tenants, including 2023 additions such as Club Champion, a custom golf club fitting company; Turning Point, a breakfast and lunch restaurant; FD Market, a sustainable-goods and refillery store; Batch Microcreamery, offering super premium, hand-crafted ice cream; Handmade Mystic, offering healing crystals, hand-crafted jewelry and unique gifts; and Love Obsessed, offering women’s clothing, jewelry, accessories and unique gifts.
Additionally, The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill – dishing out gyros, souvlaki, spanakopita and other Greek specialties – is preparing to open its first Pennsylvania location this summer in a 2,550-square-foot space between Lashes by Gab and Komé Fine Japanese Cuisine; Five Guys Burgers & Fries, a family-owned and operated franchise restaurant group known for its hand-crafted hamburgers made from never-frozen beef and fresh-cut, boardwalk-style fries cooked in 100% peanut oil, is expected to open in the fall in a 2,407-square-foot space between European Wax Center and uBreakiFix.
The center has also been incubating entrepreneurial new retailers through two creative programs both introduced in 2023: the Promenade Pop-Up Shop and Candy Cane Lane.
During the 2023 holiday season, Promenade Saucon Valley debuted Candy Cane Lane, a series of outdoor candy cane-themed sheds where local entrepreneurs can introduce the public to their brands for low-risk, short-term engagements ranging from a four-day weekend to the entire holiday season.
Local winery Tolino Vineyards took advantage of this opportunity over the 2023 holiday season and will move to a longer-term engagement inside the Promenade Pop-Up Shop next month.
Through the Promenade Pop-Up Shop, a dedicated 1,500-square-foot space that encourages local entrepreneurs and established online brands to try out the brick-and-mortar world with a short-term lease, the center offers tenants a second low-cost, low-risk way to test the waters in a physical location while simultaneously expanding their brand awareness.
The pop-up program also gives shoppers an ever-changing lineup of exclusive local retail brands and eclectic merchandise offered alongside their more traditional favorites.
The center’s very first pop-up tenant, Sweet Diehl Boutique, a women’s fashion boutique founded by a local entrepreneur, had such success that it significantly extended its stay at Promenade Saucon Valley. To learn more about the Promenade Pop-Up Shop or the holiday Candy Cane Lane program, click here.
Source: wfmz.com