GCO Canada, Inc., a subsidiary of The Lids Sports Group, announced it has been awarded the rights to operate retail concessions inside Rexall Place, the home arena of the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers and its junior team, the Western Hockey League’s Edmonton Oil Kings. Effective immediately, Lids will be operating the Rexall Place retail concessions that include 5 locations within the arena. GCO Canada, Inc. will also manage the official “The Oilers Store” in Kingsway Mall.

“Aligning with the Edmonton Oilers and Rexall Place is another key piece to our core sports fan retail business,” said Ken Kocher, president of Lids Sports Group. “Through our Canadian entity, GCO Canada, Inc., we have a significant footprint in Canada which gives us the ability to cross-collateralize our resources to best manage the game day and event business at the arena.”

“We are very excited about our partnership with Lids, a North American leader in the full-service retail business,” said Bobbie-Jo Dawe, manager, strategic sourcing and retail operations, Rexall Sports Corp. “Aligning with Lids will allow Rexall Sports to continue to increase and improve retails sales while growing the Oilers and Oil Kings brands. This is a win-win for the organization and our fans.”

Last month Lids Sports Group acquired Albert-based Game On Sports, a licensed apparel, headwear and novelty retailer who had been the official retail partner of the Edmonton Oilers since 2004. Game On Sports has four brick-and-mortar stores in Alberta, plus three more located near Vancouver in British Columbia.

The Lids Sports Group, operating within Hat World, Inc., is comprised of the Lids retail headwear stores, the Lids Locker Room specialty fan retail chain, the Lids Clubhouse retail stores, the Lids Team Sports wholesale team sports business, and the Internet businesses www.lids.com, www.lidslockerroom.com, wwwlidsclubhouse.com, www.lidsteamsports.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 headwear of collegiate teams, major professional sports teams, as well as other specialty fashion categories in the latest styles and colors. Lids Locker Room is a mall-based retailer of sports headwear, apparel, accessories, and novelties which also operates under the Sports Fan-Attic and Sports Avenue retail concepts.