Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, June 14, 1994                   TAG: 9406160048
SECTION: BUSINESS                    PAGE: C8   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: By MELISSA CURTIS STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

AREA STORES POISED TO REAP SOCCER PROFITS

And this month he expects to net even more profits.

With the first games of the World Cup scheduled for Friday in Chicago and Dallas and soccer mania sweeping the United States, Roanoke's soccer-related businesses expect to gain from the attention.

Beamer, owner of Soccer Stop, a Roanoke shop specializing in equipment and clothing for the sport, said he has seen business greatly improve in the last year, especially in the last month, and he expects sales to increase further once the games begin.

"Having the World Cup [in the U.S.] has stimulated interest in soccer," Beamer said. "In the past, kids have not been able to watch soccer on television. This summer they can watch all the soccer they want. They can watch the best players in the world."

And that means business for Beamer.

Beamer is selling the official commemorative World Cup poster, replica jerseys of most of the teams participating, T-shirts, pennants, key rings, hats, trading cards, mugs, videos of past World Cups, "The Television Viewers Guide to the World Cup", and stuffed Strikers - the canine mascot of the World Cup.

Someone looking for a souvenir of the games can pay $2.99 for a pennant to $60 for a replica jersey.

Beamer said sporting goods companies recently have doubled the number of soccer products they are selling to stores.

Soccer Stop on Franklin Road, which sells to high school, college and recreational soccer teams in the area, has recently seen more interest in the sport from adults as well as children, Beamer said.

Dave Tanis, a footwear buyer for CMT Sporting Goods Co. on Brandon Avenue in Roanoke, said his sales of soccer merchandise have increased in the last month. CMT is selling World Cup T-shirts and hats, and Tanis said he expects to see an even greater increase in soccer sales this month.

"I think once [the kids] see some teams playing, they'll start to follow [the World Cup] more closely and that will help sales," Tanis said.

Beamer said he expects the popularity of soccer to continue to rise, even after the World Cup.

"And if the U.S. soccer team does well, that will increase the popularity even more."