1. Stanley Creates A Bag Just For Quencher Fans

Stanley keeps coming up with new ways to get its fans excited – and to open their wallets. Thanks to ongoing interest on social media, fueled by collaborations with retail partners like Target and Starbucks, the century-old company’s sales have skyrocketed in the past few years.

Now, reports Modern Retail, Stanley has added a bag and two coolers to its drinkware (and apparel) offerings. The star of the All-Day Collection, launched in mid-April, is the Quencher Carry-All, a crossbody bag specifically designed to carry Stanley’s mega-popular 40-oz. tumblers, plus pockets for ID, phone, keys, etc.

@dorabreezy Isnt it great?! #stanleycup #carryallbag @Stanley 1913 ♬ original sound – kardashianshulu

“With our Quencher being very viral over the last three or four years and just creating such a buzz on social media and with consumers, it’s really an opportunity for us to bring a really cool chic, functional accessory to the forefront,” Stanley president Matt Navarro told Modern Retail.   

Like the “Wear the Bear” apparel collection launched earlier this year, it’s unclear whether or when Stanley’s newest items might make their way into the promo market.

2. Caitlin Clark Jerseys Sell Out Within An Hour

The Caitlin Clark Effect expanded from women’s college basketball to WNBA merch sales shortly after she was selected as the No. 1 draft pick in April. Within an hour, most sizes of Clark’s newly minted Indiana Fever jersey sold out on Fanatics.

Fans also snapped up a trio of tees featuring Clark’s name, jersey number and a small Iowa Hawkeyes logo, two of them bearing a slogan referring to her record-breaking college career.

IMAGE: Fanatics

But Clark certainly isn’t the only player with baller branded merch. Other star WNBA players have their own jerseys, T-shirts, hoodies and shoes on offer, many of them in partnership with Nike. And Clark’s collegiate rival Angel Reese teamed up with Reebok for a curated collection of her athleisure favorites, ranging from sneakers to tracksuits to a signature tee bearing one of Reese’s famous quotes in hot pink lettering.

IMAGE: Reebok

3. New Shoe Collabs Feature Eggo Waffles, SpongeBob

Sneakerheads who love waffles got a special treat when Eggo engaged The Shoe Surgeon, a Los Angeles-based footwear designer, to create custom kicks celebrating the breakfast brand’s new “Fully Loaded” waffles. The two sneaker styles echo two of the new Eggo flavors – Chocolate Chip Brownie in dark brown suede, and Strawberry Delight in tan suede with hot pink laces and syrup detailing. Both feature waffle-textured uppers and waffle-grid soles.

“Waffles are the original inspiration for the iconic sneaker soles of today, so it made perfect sense to kick off our launch with spectacular sneaks that pay homage to this delicious history,” said Joe Beauprez, senior director of marketing for frozen foods at Kellanova, in a statement.

The sneakers, handcrafted in LA, sold out at $150 a pair, with proceeds from the limited-edition drop supporting No Kid Hungry. The shoes shipped in a custom box crafted to look like a toaster, and buyers also received both flavors of the new waffle with their purchase.

And Crocs added SpongeBob to its stable of collabs in May with a four-pair collection:

  • Yellow SpongeBob Classic Clogs with the character smiling in the left heel bed and smirking in the other, plus a pair of poseable arm Jibbitz for each shoe.
  • Pink Patrick Classic Clogs, also with different character expressions in the heels, plus character-specific Jibbitz.
  • Sand-colored Cozzzy Terry Sandals with aqua terry interior featuring patches of SpongeBob and Patrick in the heels, plus six themed Jibbitz charms.
  • The turquoise SpongeBob Off Court Clogs features a tone-on-tone graphic print of the show’s characters and includes them in full-color Jibbitz as well.
  • SpongeBob character Jibbitz are also sold individually.

The launch included an ad recreating a fan-favorite episode of the beloved cartoon, as well as a befittingly bubbly takeover of the Las Vegas Sphere.