In the News

Sarah Miller and her son Hudson 3, at the Eagles Pro Shop at Rockvale Outlets on Monday, Jan. 27, 2025.

Early birds snag Super Bowl gear at Eagles’ East Lampeter pro shop
Chris Reber, Staff Writer Lancaster Online
Photos by Connor Hollinger, LNP Correspondent and Chris Reber, LNP Correspondent
Jan 28, 2025

The construction of a new Panera Bread will be the first step in the $120 million makeover of the Shops at Rockvale that’s slated to replace half the East Lampeter Township shopping center with housing.

New Jersey-based Fernmoor Homes, which is remaking the Route 30 shopping center, will begin construction next month of the new Panera Bread at the corner of Route 30 and South Willowdale Drive, Fernmoor Homes President Jeffrey Fernbach said.

JoAnn Hill’s collection of Philadelphia Eagles gear is so big that her Mountville home has an entire room dedicated to it. But the morning after the team earned a trip to the Super Bowl, she was still excited to line up in freezing temperatures outside the Philadelphia Eagles Pro Shop in the Shops at Rockvale just before it opened to possibly add a few more items and celebrate with other fans.

“It’s never too cold to support the Eagles,” she said.

The Eagles’ NFC Championship win over the Washington Commanders has fans like Hill excited, and that’s a good thing for retailers selling merchandise, whether it’s the team’s official store, or independent retailers at the mall. When no local teams make it deep into the playoffs or to the Super Bowl itself, January is usually one of the slowest months of the year. With the Eagles in the big game, customers line up and sales surge.

The first vehicles showed up at the East Lampeter Township store Monday morning over an hour before its 10 a.m. opening. Around 9:30, right around the time some employees arrived at the store, bundled-up fans started to line up at the door.

Those in line traveled from Dauphin, Chester and Berks counties. Most were interested in NFC Championship hats and shirts. The $40 shirts were laid out on folding tables set up in the back of the store for the occasion. Some wanted to rule out any uncertainty that gear ordered online would arrive in time for the Super Bowl.

Many of the fans had been there the last two times the Eagles won the NFC Championship in 2023 and 2018, including Hill, who said the line was actually shorter than she recalled from past years.

“The line was around the building the last time they made it,” she said.

The first fans in line, Sheila Hewitt of Sinking Spring, and her son, Ryan Clay, arrived at 8:30 a.m. in search of championship hats, priced at $38. Hewitt had already gotten shirts at another store Sunday night, around the same time the Eagles players got theirs.

“The last quarter was still on, so I had to wait a half hour outside,” she said.

Others in line were inspired by the team’s recent success to make a more expensive purchase that they had been thinking about for a while. Antoine Thompson of Lancaster city came off a night shift but stood in line ready to buy a jersey to wear for the big game.

“I feel like the excitement pulled me out here,” Thompson said.


JoAnn Hill of Mountville was among the Eagles fans who lined up outside the team’s official store in East Lampeter Township the day after the team clinched a berth in the Super Bowl LIX.

Sales boost
The fortunes of local retailers who focus on sports are somewhat tied to those of the teams that have large local fan bases. When one of those teams goes to the Super Bowl, it means a lot more business.

“It’s a substantial difference. If they lose (early), January is one of the slowest months of the year,” said Tim Kistler, manager of Pro Image Sports in the Park City Center shopping mall.

Kistler told LNP | LancasterOnline on Friday that an Eagles-Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl would generate the most excitement among fans because of the Chiefs’ seeking a third straight championship win, and the Eagles trying to avenge their Super Bowl loss to the Chiefs in 2023.

Kistler, who opened his store during that season, said that he expects there to be an initial rush on Conference Championship gear, followed by steady demand for new hats, T-shirts and jerseys in the week leading up to the game on Feb. 9.

Bob’s Sports in the Park City mall stocks collectibles for all 32 NFL teams. According to owner Bob Young, this year’s hot items are fan chains – oversized, shiny plastic necklaces with team logos.

“It’s been a craze starting last year, and based off that we’ve increased our selection,” he said.

An Eagles spokesperson, Anthony Bonagura, said that Philadelphia Eagles Pro Shop management was unavailable for comment on Monday.