The Eastbay Team Sales division is the official supplier for professional and Division I athletics programs. In addition, Eastbay provides professional-quality athletic gear, footwear, and apparel to hundreds of colleges and universities and over 17,000 high schools throughout the United States.
If you are interested in learning more about how Eastbay can support your school, please contact Kevin Kelley, a loyal CNAA member and former championship basketball coach.  Kevin can answer any of your questions, having setup successful apparel store solutions for Bishop O’Dowd, De La Salle and others.
Eastbay has made a dedicated effort to ensuring the needs of aspiring professional athletes and the athletic departments of high schools and universities throughout the United States have access to top-quality gear and equipment. Eastbay believes deeply in the value of high school athletics programs to impart values, instill discipline, and inspire learning among young people. That’s why Eastbay supports CNAA’s efforts to ensure all Catholic school athletic programs are competitive.
Eastbay has recently acquired Champs Sports. In collaboration with Champs, Eastbay is proud to offer its own line of apparel, as well as an entire line of athletic gear and footwear designed specifically for the consumer market. Eastbay and Champs Sports have made it their mission to promote their products in an effort to inspire global youth culture by encouraging a passion for self-expression and creating unrivaled experiences at the heart of the sport and sneaker communities.
Eastbay, Inc. is an athletic performance gear and apparel supplier and retailer. Eastbay currently offers the world’s largest selection of athletic footwear in collaboration with major manufacturers such as Nike, UnderArmour, and Adidas. Eastbay is a subsidiary of Foot Locker, Inc. With corporate headquarters in New York City, Eastbay operates its own massive global distribution center in Wausau, WS.
Eastbay is a major supplier of professional-grade athletic gear and footwear to the National Football League (NFL), the National Basketball Association (NBA), and Division I of the National College Athletics Association (NCAA). In addition Eastbay, is the preferred retailer for the personal shopping needs of professional athletes. Eastbay has received endorsements from such notable professionals as LeBron James and others. Eastbay’s e-commerce site currently features Washington Nationals gear in anticipation of the World Series. In addition, their home page features popular basketball shoes, including the LeBron 17, the Harden 4, the Jordan XXXIV, and the Zoom Freak I.
Eastbay also feature gear and apparel for international soccer league fans; wrestling shoes and singlets; lacrosse cleats; and workout equipment for weight rooms and gyms. The Eastbay website features many specials and discounts, including 50% off specials for running gear, basketball gear, and women’s workout gear.
Eastbay’s success as a sales and marketing company has a long history. Originally founded in 1980 in Wausau, WS, Eastbay began as a shoe sales company. The founders started with a modest inventory of running shoes that eventually grew to include track-and-field and baseball shoes. By 1988, increasing sales prompted them to open a call center. Continued growth enabled the addition of a sales team, and by 1990 Eastbay had moved its call center and distribution center into a block-long facility. Eastbay is headquartered in Wausau, WS and operates call centers in Oshkosh, WS and Green Bay, WS.
In 1990, Eastbay developed their own line of apparel, and their catalog began including jackets, pants, shorts, socks, tops, and underwear in addition to their original line of footwear. Eastbay also developed its own logo and began offering apparel in team colors.
Eastbay’s Initial Public Offering (IPO) took place in 1995, and shareholders sold the company to Woolworth Company, Inc. two years later. In 1997 Eastbay moved its headquarters to a huge facility on the near-west side of Wausau. This new distribution center combined its entire corporate headquarters and retail store with the city-block warehouse it had opened in 1990. After converting the website to an e-commerce site and adding the two call centers in Oshkosh and Green Bay in 1998, the founders retired in 1999.
Eastbay is still owned and operated by F.W. Woolworth Co., Inc. However, Woolworth Co. has undergone major revisions both immediately after the IPO and since the founders’ retirement. In 1997, Woolworth was reorganized to become Venator Group and in 2001 changed its name to Foot Locker, Inc.
Today, Eastbay operates as a subsidiary of Foot Locker, Inc. Foot Locker, Inc. is the parent company of several brand name athletic apparel companies, including not only Eastbay and Champs Sports, but also Kids Foot Locker, Footaction, Lady Foot Locker, Runners Point, and Sidestep. Foot Locker is headquartered in New York City and operates more than 3,000 retail stores in 27 countries.
Eastbay uses a variety of marketing channels in North America, Europe, Asia, Australia, and New Zealand and is currently focused on optimizing several market strategies to help them take advantage of the current trend in commerce fueled by user experience ratings. They are also focused on investments for long-term growth, increasing productivity, and leveraging the power of their global staff of employees.
Eastbay has retained their original base by continuing to offer outdoor running shoes and equipment. Eastbay’s website includes a multitude of digital marketing efforts. Site visitors can connect via social media on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. They offer downloadable Eastbay apps at the Apple App Store for iOS users and on the Google Play store for Android users. Site visitors may request digital or mail catalogs, sign up for email marketing, and buy gift cards online. Additional resources include text messaging, student and military discounts, free delivery and returns, and a new release calendar.