Lacrosse Loft Opening Next Month

Come February, Wilmington will be home to a new lacrosse store. The Lacrosse Loft is slated to open next month and the store will be located inside Cooke’s Skate Supply located at 446 Main Street.

Owner Daniel Sullivan says he and his wife Michelle decided to open a lacrosse store in Wilmington because they saw a void in the retail market for a specialty store in the lacrosse world that focuses on customers and their needs. The couple have lived in Wilmington since 2001 and have two children, ages 14 and 11.

“As we travelled around to tournaments and practices with our son, who plays club lacrosse, we came to realize that we were not alone in feeling the void with the box store atmosphere,” Sullivan says. “We listened to people and decided to open a store that focused on the individual customers and not the trends that sales reports give you.”

Lacrosse Loft officially opens on Friday, Feb. 6. A grand opening celebration has been scheduled for Sunday, March 1, complete with raffles, giveaways and special guests.

The Lacrosse Loft isn’t a chain, Sullivan says it’s the one and only of its kind. The name came from its location within Cooke’s Skate Supply, which is the loft area that was previously the balcony area for the original Wilmington Theatre. The building itself was built around 1900.

Multiple reasons led to the decision to open up inside Cooke’s. Sullivan says he has a relationship going back more than a decade with Cooke’s while he was coaching hockey and referring his players to them for equipment and especially skates. Add to that what he explains is a natural crossover from hockey to lacrosse (around 90 percent) and the decision was easy.

“Over that time I was thoroughly impressed with their (Cooke’s) professionalism and customer service,” he says. “I approached the owners about opening a lacrosse store within their building, and they were receptive. I am striving to provide the same type of professionalism and service to the lacrosse community that Cooke’s provides to the figure skating and hockey community.”

What customers will find at the Lacrosse Loft that they can’t get at other large retailers is the personalized attention Sullivan and his team will give to individuals. A former professional lacrosse player is the store’s string doctor who will customize and properly string heads for individual players. The store will also have a huge selection of girls equipment and will also have a great selection of box lacrosse equipment on the shelves. Additionally, Sullivan says, the Lacrosse Loft will have a vast selection of lacrosse heads, handles and protective equipment for all aspects of the game for anyone from the beginner to the professional.

“We have partnered with companies from the Iroquois nation in western New York to bring the traditional equipment and awareness to the grassroots of lacrosse to Wilmington,” he says. “A lot of the things I will bring from there will not be found in the box stores. Most importantly, we are a small family owned and operated business that wants to become part of our customers family, as we invite them to become apart of ours.”

Sullivan, who is retired from the military, says members of the military who shop at the Lacrosse Loft will receive a 10 percent discount. Additionally, the Lacrosse Loft will be running specials on specific items every week so there will always be a deal to take advantage of. Sullivan encourages anyone to contact them directly with their needs, so they can serve the community in a time effective manner.

For more information on the Lacrosse Loft, visit their website www.lacrosseloft.com