Lids (store)


Lids Inc. is an American retailer specializing in athletic headwear. It primarily operates under the LIDS brand with stores in the U.S., Puerto Rico and Canada. The majority of the stores operate in shopping malls and factory outlet centers.
The LIDS Sports Group, operating within Lids, Inc., comprises the LIDS retail headwear stores, the LIDS Locker Room specialty fan retail chain, the LIDS Clubhouse retail stores, and its Internet businesses, www.lids.com and www.lids.ca. Operating out of Indianapolis, Indiana, the retail businesses make up more than 1,000 mall-based, airport, street level and factory outlet locations nationwide, and in Canada and Puerto Rico. LIDS retail stores offer officially licensed and branded college, major professional sports teams, as well as other specialty fashion categories all in the latest styles and colors. LIDS Locker Room is a mall-based retailer of sports headwear, apparel, accessories, and novelties. Most LIDS and LIDS Locker Room stores also offer custom embroidery capability. LIDS Clubhouse operates team-specific professional sports and university athletics retail stores and e-commerce websites. Hat World, Inc. is a subsidiary of Fanatics Inc.

History

LIDS was founded in Boston by best friends Douglass Karp and his best friend Ben Fischman. LIDS was bought out by Hat World Inc, founded in 1995 and based in Indianapolis, Indiana. Hat World's first store opened at Tippecanoe Mall in Lafayette, Indiana.
Hat World Inc. was acquired in April 2004 by footwear retailer Genesco Inc.. In 2019 Genesco sold Hat World to a joint venture between Ames Watson, LLC and Fanatics, Inc. Also in 2019, Meek Mill acquired an ownership stake.