swept off the shelves

As if it weren't bad enough that the St. Louis Cardinals were swept by the Boston Red Sox in the World Series, many Cardinals fans had a hard time finding team apparel to wear for the October classic. According to the St. Louis Post Dispatch, several retailers in the area ran out of Cardinals T-shirts and other paraphernalia after the team defeated Houston to gain a berth in the World Series.

But all was not lost (at least when it came to apparel). Though many retailers' shelves were empty, Sports Authority says a reliable distribution system enabled it to keep up with demand. Like most retailers, Sports Authority orders most of its playoff gear in advance but doesn't receive it until the morning after a team wins. Some of the stuff is manufactured ahead of time, but plenty of those hats and T-shirts don't leave the factory until after the final out is recorded. Though that leaves a pretty narrow window for delivery, Sports Authority was unfazed. Says spokeswoman Melissa Gelfand, "Luckily, we have pretty nimble and agile vendor partners to help us get that merchandise there."