Gotta go (back) to Mo’s!
Sporting goods store Modell’s is making a comeback — kind of — as its former owner said he’ll launch a new online store with plans to open brick-and-mortar stores by the end of the decade.
Mitchell Modell said Monday that he was inspired by the Knicks championship run as demand spiked for affordable gear and would-be customers took to social media to call for the store’s comeback.
“The Knicks started winning, the city came alive, the energy returned, the excitement returned, and suddenly my phone started ringing. My inbox exploded. Social media exploded,” Modell told reporters.
Modell, who moved back up to the Big Apple from Florida to restart the brand, has launched revamped website at mitchellmodells.com where fans can purchase a Knicks themed “Knodells” pigeon shirt for $20.
The former sporting goods mogul said he is so dedicated to the comeback that he is even looking to legally add an “s” to the end of his last name to skirt any copyright infringement issues, keep his url, and avoid any legal claims from the current holders of the original Modell’s store name — which is no longer owned by Modell and his family.
“Thousands of people started asking the question: ‘Where is Modells? Where do I get my playoff shirt? Where do I get my Knicks gear? Where is Moe’s?’ he said.
The pigeon shirts are already 90% sold out, and $5 from every purchased shirt will be donated to combat prostate cancer, according to the website.
Under Modell’s tenure with the original brand, the company was a large part of New York sports culture and had 153 stores throughout the tri-state area.
“We celebrated championships with every New Yorker. Every Yankee World Series, every Ranger playoff run, every Met playoff run, every Giants Super Bowl, every Knicks run. When New York celebrated, we celebrated along with them. When New York was hurt, Modell’s was hurt,” Modell said.
Modell said that he’s starting small, with the store mainly being online for now, with plans to eventually open brick-and-mortar stores in 2030, and one day reopen a flagship store in the heart of New York City where the old Modell’s used to be.
“We’re going back to the push cart,” he said, harkening back to the company’s roots when his grandfather started the brand out of a pushcart in 1889.
“Only today’s push cart isn’t on a New York street. It’s online now,” he said, acknowledging that online stores helped push him out of business.
“The very technology that helped destroy us is now going to help rebuild us,” he said.
