2020 - What A Journey It's Been

It’s been a year we could all forget and yet, at the same time, it has been a year we will always remember. We experienced in 2020 the value and importance of community and, as we faced an unprecedented year, we have been amazed by your support. So, as we look back at the year that was, we’ll start by once again saying THANK YOU for everything you’ve done to ensure we can continue serving the city we love, Seattle.

What a year it has been. When we were forced to shutter our stores in March, it was a terrifying time. How could our business, built on brick and mortar locations, survive an economic shutdown? We knew our only chance was to pivot. 

The Big Pivot

We shifted our business online, and our customers migrated with us.

While we transitioned our business, we were forced to deal with a series of break-ins and broken windows. We had to permanently close our store in Pioneer Square. 

Undeterred, we kept moving forward. We launched the $20 hoodie, which has flourished into a focal point of our business as we strive to create stylish, and topical looks that meet the desires of our customers at a killer price.

We decided to help our community by giving away free masks – more than 60,000 distributed so far. 

And, while we navigated a changing retail landscape, we were the first local retailer to have Kraken gear after the team announced its name in late July.

As the city, and the country, tried to find its footing, we did our best to help, creating the “I Miss ___” campaign to generate meals for Food Lifeline and the "Stay Strong Seattle" shirts, which provided cash gifts for people in need. Then, we came back with a $20 hoodie promotion in December and, thanks to Seahawks Twitter, raised more than 75,000 meals for Food Lifeline.

The Sonics And The Future

Then there’s the Sonics. Our passion for OUR team continues to burn white hot and we work every day to preserve the memory of our squad. In 2020, we launched sonicsforever.com with an accompanying podcast that has already featured Gary Payton, Shawn Kemp and Kevin Calabro, among others. We continue to do everything we can to be your home for everything Sonics.

It’s been a busy year. It’s been a strange year. It’s been a challenging year. 

But, we’re still here. We’ve been fortunate to have our staff remain healthy. We’ve been able to keep our downtown store – 1600 1st Ave – open and all of that is because of you, our customers.

We’ve been able to stay afloat, because of your support. We have been able to give back to our community through masks and donations to Food Lifeline, because of you. We have been able to launch our Sonics initiatives, because of you. 

So, for that we say thank you. And, while 2020 has definitely been a year with many moments we could have lived without, we’ll never forget the opportunities and community it created. Again, this wouldn’t be possible without our customers. Thank you for everything, and on to bigger and better things as we move into 2021 together.