Scott and Jacqui Martelack of Maple Shade were getting ready on an Eagles-spending spree at Fan Treasures inside Cherry Hill Mall on Thursday, and the couple spared no expense.
On the eve before the Philadelphia Eagles Super Bowl victory parade in downtown Philadelphia, ka-ching reverberated at cash registers at sporting goods stores throughout the Philadelphia-South Jersey region.
The parade for the Eagles is expected to attract a million people into the city, and many were still figuring out what to wear the night before.
While it may be on Valentine’s Day, forget to see anything pink or red along the parade route – only a sea of green.
Standing at Love Park or down by Lincoln Financial Field in South Philadelphia will be the Martelacks. The couple now lives in Maple Shade, but they were born and bred in Philadelphia and, therefore, bleed green.
On Thursday, Jacqui, 54, honed in on an olive green Eagles Super Bowl LIX sweatshirt at Fan Treasures that retails for $85.
When jokingly asked if she spent her entire paycheck on Eagles gear this week since Super Sunday, Jacqui smiled and nodded.
“Anything for my Eagles,” said the Philadelphia-based transportation worker, who was also wearing silver Eagles earrings, a silver necklace with an Eagles pendant, and an Eagles charm bracelet.
While shop managers say business was good all season as the Eagles racked up an impressive 14-3 record, the Super Bowl win on Feb. 9 put sales over the top.
Demand for anything Eagles exploded exponentially this week, said John DeMaria, Head of Operations for Fan Treasures, which has 15 stores in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Maryland. Four are in South Jersey, including the one at Cherry Hill Mall.
“Sales were obviously great throughout the season, but we’ve seen a tremendous bump from Super Bowl win night through today. Everybody’s trying to gear up for the parade.”
DeMaria said Fan Treasures received 20 shipments of Eagles merchandise, including Super Bowl Champs blankets that come in six different styles, on Thursday.
“Business is booming,” said DeMaria. “People are extremely excited.”
That buying frenzy was alive at the Market Place at Garden State Park in Cherry Hill, where a Dick’s Sporting Goods store had Eagles faithful filing in and out all day Thursday into the night.
Exiting Dick’s around 5 p.m. was engineer Joe Pomante, 64, of Cherry Hill, who proudly showed off his new short-sleeve Super Bowl t-shirt.
“Why not?” Pomante asked of the $40 t-shirt, which he plans to wear as he and his family follow the parade from 17th and the Parkway to the Art Museum. “It only happens oh so often.”
Just minutes later, Rutgers University senior Josh Meyers, 22, of Voorhees, came out with his purchase in hand, no bag needed. Meyers eagerly pulled the price tag off of his new $130 Kelly Green “1” Jalen Hurts jersey.
“This is our quarterback,” said Meyers, gently feeling the “1” symbol with both hands. “He’s the greatest quarterback of all time. I can’t wait to wear my new jersey at the parade.”
Just after 6 p.m., a line snaked around the front of the Philadelphia Eagles Pro Shop, which sits in the same upscale Market Place complex.
Entry into the store was staggered due to capacity overflow inside. But that didn’t bother Dakotah Figueroa, 25, who braved the frigid cold with her sister Ariel Lopez, 29, of North Philadelphia, to make some last-minute buys for Friday’s parade.
Figueroa had just arrived in town after an hour-and-a-half flight from Raleigh, North Carolina, where she was doing her postgraduate work. Lopez picked her up at Philadelphia International Airport, and the duo headed straight to the Eagles Pro Shop.
Lopez settled on a wool Super Bowl Eagles beanie hat, while Figueroa opted for a Super Bowl LIX Eagles hooded sweatshirt.
“We’re getting things to stay warm during the parade,” said Figueroa. “It’s gonna be cold. I know I’m wearing a jacket, two pairs of pants and leggings. Maybe I’ll also get a blanket.”
The Eagles’ championship parade will kick off at 11 a.m. Friday. The weather is expected to be in the low-30s, clear but chilly.
The parade route will begin at Broad Street and Pattison Avenue, then proceed north toward the Philadelphia Art Museum and pass along the west side of City Hall and up the Benjamin Franklin Parkway.
