BLOOMINGTON - Sports fans have a new haven in town.
Pro Image Gift Shop offers a range of gifts for all types ofsports fans, said Matt Nichols, who recently opened the franchise atEastland Mall in Bloomington with his brother, Andy Nichols.
'It's not just local teams. ... We have a wide variety of teamsthat are available,' Matt Nichols said. 'We're trying to maybe carryan item for every fan possible.'
The store, which is in the Kohl's wing across from MC Sports,does not focus on athletic apparel but specializes in other sportsparaphernalia, such as trash cans, clocks, cell phone cases andcoffee mugs, Matt Nichols said. The gift shop also has gloves, socksand infant bibs, he said.
Shoppers can find novelty items for such teams as the TennesseeTitans and San Diego Chargers, as well as the New York Yankees andTampa Bay Rays, he said.
The majority of the professional novelty items are for NationalFootball League and Major League Baseball teams, Matt Nichols said.
Pro Image also carries more and more items for the NationalBasketball Association and National Hockey League as they becomeavailable, he said.
Sports fans also can show their support for NCAA colleges, MattNichols said.
Bloomington's Pro Image store is the third for Matt Nichols andsixth for Andy Nichols. Andy Nichols owns one apparel store and onegift shop in Springfield, as well as a hat store in Decatur. Bothbrothers also own one apparel store and one gift shop in Peoria.
'Being a sports fan, it's just fun dealing with other sportsfans,' Matt Nichols said.
Six other employees work at the Bloomington mall location, hesaid.
