KSHB 41 reporter Claire Bradshaw covers eastern Jackson County, including Blue Springs and Independence. Share your story idea with Claire.
When the Kansas City Chiefs win, local businesses say they win. So with the team coming into the 2024 NFL season as back-to-back Super Bowl champions, business owners are preparing for another hopeful year.
Queen Bee Boutiques in Blue Springs is home to 225 small businesses. There is everything Chiefs in there, from the usual tees and sweatshirts to candles, home decor, Christmas ornaments and sparkling shoes.
Owners Casie and David Bateman said they’ve noticed more and more of their vendors leaning into the red and yellow.
“We have definitely seen a big increase in vendors taking on a role of fulfillment for KC and the Chiefs and promoting and we love seeing the community come together,” said David Bateman.
Especially after the latest Super Bowl win, the Bateman's said Queen Bee was buzzing.
“People were just all over it, they were crazy, it’s what they want,” said Casie Bateman.
Chiefs owner Clark Hunt told KSHB 41 News Anchor Taylor Hemness that there is also the Taylor Swift of it all. The pop singer has helped grow the Chiefs Kingdom.
“Taylor Swift’s effect on the team last year was a total surprise to us. And we do have a lot more female, particularly young female fans,” said Hunt.
Last year, locally-owned EB&Co felt Swift’s effect firsthand.
“It was absolutely bananas,” said owner and creative director Emily Bordner.
Swift was pictured wearing one of Bordner’s rings, a Chiefs jersey pendant with the number 87 on it — a small gesture to boyfriend Travis Kelce. That ring sent the Swifties to EB&Co, giving Bordner enough orders that it took her six months to catch up. It also increased her sales year-over-year by 83%.
“It really took a village. We hired people to help us fulfill packages within the meantime and my staff was totally pushed to the brink,” said Bordner.
She said those orders may have been hectic, but it paid off in helping her buy her family’s dream home. So this season, she is preparing to stay on top of the demand.
“We’re just putting out so many new fresh designs, either about Taylor, Kelce, Mahomes, Andy — any of it and all of it and we’re trying to do it in a lot of fun different formats,” said Bordner.
Bordner and the Batemans both said that having a winning football team in Kansas City provides that economic boost they need.