Rally House sports apparel shop coming soon to Portage

PORTAGE, MI — A new sports apparel shop is coming to Portage this spring.

The family-owned, national chain Rally House plans to open a store this May at 6290 S. Westnedge Ave. The store will be the first Rally House location in Southwest Michigan.

“We’re excited to open Rally House Portage this spring,” said Colin Novick, Rally House media and production manager Colin Novick. “The store will have a great selection of teams to shop, but as it will be a short 15-minute ride from the Western Michigan campus, fans can rely on Rally House for the best assortment of Broncos gear in the area.”

The store will also carry a wide variety of products for Detroit’s professional sports teams, plus gear for Michigan, Michigan State, Grand Valley, Central Michigan and more, he said.

Rally House will open in the former David’s Bridal location, just behind Taco Bell. David’s Bridal closed last July, according to WWMT.

In recent weeks, David’s Bridal signage was removed from the standalone building and replaced with Rally House signs.

In addition to the incoming store in Portage, Rally House opened two stores in the Detroit area, as well as one each in Mount Pleasant and Okemos last year. In total, there are 18 Rally House stores in Michigan, mostly located in the Ann Arbor and Detroit areas.

The origin of Rally House dates back to 1989 when founders Tim and Peg Liebert opened their first Kansas Sampler store in Overland Park, Kansas, according to a news release from Rally House.

The store, which quickly spreads across the Kansas City area, specializes in licensed sports apparel of the Kansas Jayhawks, Kansas State Wildcats, University of Missouri, Kansas City Chiefs and Kansas City Royals.

After rebranding as Rally House in 2008, the company — under the guidance of the founders’ son, CEO Aaron Liebert — began expanding across the country. There are now over 170 stores across 17 states.

Regardless of location, Rally House stays true to its roots by focusing on local collegiate and pro team apparel, accessories and gifts, including exclusive designs available only at Rally House.

In addition to selling merchandise relating to local sports teams, Rally House also works in connection with local sports stars and celebrities. These partnerships manifest themselves in the form of autograph sessions, ticket giveaways, radio remote contests and meet-and-greet opportunities.

For more information, visit rallyhouse.com.

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