Longtime Village sporting goods retailer Soccer Locker has moved from its US1 location of 20 years to a new building situated almost directly across the highway.
Owner Dave Zighelboin, who has owned and operated the business for 32 years, says the move to 9601 S. Dixie Hwy. will open opportunities for improvement in the Soccer Locker operation.
“Everything here is new,” Zighelboin says. “I have my own parking, a new computer system and everything else. Hopefully that makes us even better.”
Though the store is the same size as the one in the old location, Zighelboin and his team have incorporated a sleek aesthetic in both decoration and inventory presentation. The well-lit and debris-free two-story retail outlet boasts an intelligently laid out and tastefully arranged array of goods that is simple in design and easily navigable. An elevator connects the two levels. The downstairs section of the store boasts an assortment of jerseys, shorts, athletic undergarments, goals, agility cones, speed chutes, an abundance of soccer balls and a modest wall display of footwear. Fans of a particular team will have no problem finding an official jersey to their liking. There is clothing available for all ages and for both genders. Two changing rooms are located directly across from the point of sales.
The glass case surrounding the sales area contains a neat display of muscle pain relief balm, athletic wraps, key chains, patches, athletic tape, thermoses, stickers, World Cup replicas, magnets, LED pocket lights, caps, scarves, whistles, gloves and roughly 25 soccer-related DVDs. The upper level is dedicated primarily to footwear. Soccer Locker carries standard brands, including Nike, Adidas and Puma, as well as some more exclusive lines such as Diadora, Umbro, Joma and Asics. “We used to carry a lot more of the smaller brands, but the big brands were just too strong and wiped most of them out,” Zighelboin says.
Sliding cabinet shelves filled with shoes line two of the upstairs walls and contain footwear ranging widely in price. The ends of the cabinets feature large pictures of some of modern soccer’s biggest stars, and many of the same jerseys they are wearing in the pictures hang on racks nearby.
Adidas representatives recently visited the store and decorated the display area dedicated to their product, and Nike soon will send people to do the same. Zighelboin also intends to implement hospital-style floor guides to allow for even better customer navigation.
Soccer Locker is currently offering a “buy one, get one free” promotion on selected team jerseys from last year to make room for the new inventory coming in.
“We’re preparing for the World Cup next summer, so we’re already starting to buy for that,” Zighelboin says. “I’ve already gotten World Cup tee shirts and there’s a thing going on right now in Brazil called the Federation Cup, a precursor to the World Cup, so people are getting geared for that.”
A husband, father of four and a Miami resident since 1966, Zighelboin feels strong ties to the local community and does what he can in terms of giving back. He’s been involved with the YMCA for many years and contributes regularly to local school fundraisers through donations or silent auctions. Soccer Locker also participates in the Fiesta Cup, the Mega Cup and several other local soccer tournaments.
For more information, visit 9601 S. Dixie Hwy., call 305-670-9100 or go to www.soccerlocker.com
