Tuesday, August 30, 2005
KU sports apparel retailers on Massachusetts Street may see stiff competition from a new store in the developing southern part of Lawrence.
Construction of several storefront buildings near the corner of 31st and Iowa streets is making the area a destination for Lawrence residents and students.
The owners of D3 Sports, Lawrence’s newest provider of sports apparel, are optimistic about their future owning the only business in Lawrence’s southern shopping district to specialize in KU merchandise.
D3 Sports, 2040 W. 31st St., is co-owned by David Timmons, who previously managed Jock’s Nitch Sporting Goods, 1443 W. 23rd St, and Doug Dobbins, who managed the Jock’s Nitch at 837 Massachusetts St. The two had planned to open their own business for some time but were awaiting a location that suited them.
“We were just ready to do something on our own,” Timmons said.
The owners of D3 Sports had planned to make $350,000 in their first year of business, and Dobbins said since the business’s opening on May 29, they have been on schedule.
“Traffic out here has been pretty good,” Dobbins said.
He said that business generated by nearby stores has attracted shoppers to his store.
“Pretty much everyone in Lawrence goes to Best Buy and Home Depot,” Dobbins said.
Emi Ibarra, Wichita freshman, said that because there are other stores around D3 Sports, customers would see D3 Sports if they were not aware of its existence already.
Dobbins considered their current location to be the other main shopping district in Lawrence.
“We thought this was the place to be if you’re not on Massachusetts Street,” he said.
Derek Keller, Marysville senior, said he usually purchased his KU apparel at Sports Dome, 1000 Massachusetts St. He had shopped at D3 Sports before, but he said he had been disappointed with the merchandise he had seen.
“It definitely has a lot of KU stuff. It had a lot of accessories, but on Massachusetts, they have more variety of T-shirts and jerseys,” Keller said.
However, Keller said he thought that D3 Sports had a good location for business because of its proximity to Best Buy and On The Border.
Pam Peterson, realtor for Block and Co. Inc. of Kansas City, Mo., said they are in lease negotiations with The UPS Store to fill the rest of the building currently housing D3 Sports.
- Edited by Theresa MontañoKU apparel stores compete in saturated market
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