The 2016 Summer Olympics are over, and the real winners, aside from the medalists, were the Rio megastores and merchandise outlets.
Merchandise sales for this year’s Olympics surpassed $15.5 million last Thursday, more than 11 percent more than projections, Sports Business Daily reported.
“Considering the economic factors of the country and the poor performance of the Brazilian retail [sector], sales were satisfactory,” Nathalia Lugon, a Rio 2016 spokesperson, told Sports Business Daily.
Though the economic status of Brazil was a concern, one reason that the sales might have been so successful was the organizers’ decision to offer a two-tiered merchandising system: high-quality merchandise for tourists and lower-quality items at a lower price so more people can afford them.
Approximately 70 percent of the overall sales came from the two main megastores on Copacabana Beach and inside Berra Olympic park, which saw a combined 85,000 visitors per day. Customers spent an average of $118 per visit.
The top-selling item was the plush mascot for the Rio 2016 Olympics, Vinicius, which cost $31.
The success of this year’s Olympic merchandise could have an effect on future organizers, possibly causing them to adopt the two-tiered merchandise system.
It doesn’t look like the Tokyo 2020 Olympics will have to worry about sales, however, as merchandise with its new logo sold out on the first day it was available.
