Lids reveals new store concept, Lids Hat Drop

Sports retailer Lids has unveiled its newest retail concept at the first store in Queens, New York.

‘Lids Hat Drop’ comes as a brick and mortar iteration of an online concept the brand launched under the same name earlier this year.

With a focus on hats, from baseball caps to beanies, the space will honour Jamaica, Queens, and its history with hat culture through a community-driven concept, product releases and store programming.

Like the e-commerce store, the retail space will offer exclusive and limited-edition drops, including collaborations that link with the surrounding neighbourhood.

Visitors to the store will gain first access to new hat drops each Friday, before a collection then comes online.

The space will also house a signature Custom Zone, allowing customers to custom-embroider a product of their choice in-store.

The new concept is the latest to debut as part of Lids’ expansion of its retail footprint.

In July, the brand unveiled a collegiate product focused retail concept in Las Vegas, adding to its already established themes such as Locker Room and its sports team-specific store network.

Speaking on the new space, Britten Maughan, president of Lids said in a release: “[Jamaica] is known by headwear enthusiasts as the hat mecca of the US, so the location allows Lids to lean into hat culture while continuing to drive trends through our exclusive releases.

“We've seen huge success with LidsHatDrop.com but Lids is a brick & mortar retailer at its core, and this concept is yet another step in our strategy to lead the conversation and become even more ingrained in the hat community."