
January 27, 2025
Gritty's Chaos Factory, a new store dedicated to the Flyers mascot, opens Monday in the Wells Fargo Center.
The latest retail store inside the Wells Fargo Center is lined with hairy, orange stuffed animals begging for a chance to play dress up.
Gritty's Chaos Factory, opening Monday at 5:30 p.m. on the main concourse, will give Flyers fans the chance to customize their own plush version of the team's mascot. The "Itty Bitty Gritty" comes dressed in a Flyers jersey, but customers can shop from a selection of costumes and buy belly button packs to switch up his look.
"One of the things that's so fun about Gritty is that he's got such a giant personality," said Christine Mina, senior vice president of marketing for the Flyers. "He's got a lot of different costumes and his belly button changes and he squeaks and he is very interactive. We really wanted a plush that represented that."
Mina describes the concept as more American Girl Doll than Build-A-Bear. Shoppers won't necessarily pump stuffing into their Gritty plush, but they can outfit him in some of mascot's best-known costumes. His Thanksgiving turkey, St. Patrick's Day leprechaun, Easter Bunny, Santa Claus, Rocky and summer looks will all be available for purchase. Fans can also choose between a home, away or alternate Flyers jersey for their stuffed monster.
Gritty's Chaos Factory will sell other apparel and novelty items like hats and T-shirts. It will be open exclusively during Flyers home games, across from the Gritty's Chaos Corner seating bloc in Section 118.
Flyers fans can buy holiday outfits for their 'Itty Bitty Grittys' like Santa Claus and Thanksgiving turkey costumes.
Wells Fargo Center sees the store as part of the wider expansion of its retail options. In the fall, the arena opened two new clothing shops: Threads, focused on newer trends, and the Vault, a throwback destination. Mina said the team plans to keep rolling out collections tailored to specific audiences or "timelines of our fandom" with the help of its in-house retail staff, assembled almost two years ago.
Gritty, whom Mina describes as a consistent "top performer," seemed like the natural next theme to explore. The Flyers mascot has remained an object of fascination since his 2018 debut, with the power to draw new crowds to the Wells Fargo Center.
"We often hear, 'I came here for Gritty, but then I experienced live hockey for the first time and now I'm a Flyers fan,'" Mina said. "... We've also noticed a lot of hockey fans from other teams will put Philadelphia on their list because not only do they want to see a game here at Wells Fargo Center, but they want to interact with Gritty as well.
"He's got a lot that appeals for kids coming into the game, but he also has a really large adult audience. So it's just a great opportunity for us to expose the game of hockey to a lot of new people."
Follow Kristin & PhillyVoice on Twitter: @kristin_hunt
| @thePhillyVoice
Like us on Facebook: PhillyVoice
Have a news tip? Let us know.