🔒Portland soccer team’s new store showcases much more than merch

The Portland Hearts of Pine soccer team is stepping up its brand presence with the relocation of its club shop from a 1,800-square-foot space at 65 Hanover St. to a larger, 3,040-square-foot location at 127 Marginal Way — about a third of a mile away in the city's Bayside neighborhood.

The team financed the project as a club investment but did not disclose the cost.

Room to grow 

The club shop started as a pop-up selling branded merchandise in November 2024 on Hanover Street, with no plan to stay permanently, a spokesperson told Mainebiz. But it drew fans, visitors and locals.

The team, founded in 2023 by Gabe Hoffman-Johnson, is led by President Kevin Schohl. Investors include Dexter Paine, owner of the Maine Mariners hockey team.

The new spot, next to West Marine and Trader Joe's, offers a permanent store with room for more merchandise, dressing rooms, backstock and future community activities.

Today, the shop has eight employees — a manager, assistant manager and six floor associates. The assistant manager position was added as the store geared up.

It represents 20 vendors, with expectations of adding more. The vendors don’t need to offer sports-related products, as the goal is to expand the selection of made-in-Maine and New England goods.

Shop revenue is one of three income streams that help support the team, in addition to sponsorships and ticket sales.

Earlier this year, the organization, which only has a men’s team, said it’s seeking public input on establishing a women’s squad.

Wood tones, brick elements

Buildout started with what was essentially “a big sterile box,” the spokesperson said.

“We wondered, ‘How can we infuse the DNA of the club into this spot to feel authentic?’” she said.

Features that were added include wood tones and brick elements.The organization commissioned, Erica Sedler, a Cape Elizabeth artist and muralist, to create a 16-foot "tifo" banner inside the shop. Tifo, shortened from the Italian word tifosi, refers to large banners and displays created by supporters groups to display during sport matches. Sedler’s piece stretches along the back wall and includes Maine landscapes and Hearts iconography.

The entire space was painted. The layout was left pretty much intact. A tea-stained wall was added to bring warmth to the space. Brett Fermeglia, with Portland-based Presumpscot Construction, built modular fixtures for the store.

The organization’s retail team helped with painting, creating finishes and assembling fixtures throughout the build-out. Many decor pieces and fixtures were sourced locally and secondhand to evoke a Maine feel.

Kate De Oliveira, the team's senior director of consumer goods, worked with Maine-based craftspeople, artisans, companies and brands.

De Oliveira worked with Jeremy Richardson, co-owner of Bangor vintage clothing and accessories store Log Jam Vintage, to scour Facebook marketplace and antique stores to find wood and salvaged materials to build custom fixtures.

“I had been following Jeremy on Instagram and could tell there was a real creative eye behind [Log Jam Vintage],” said De Oliviera. “When I saw he was going to be at a show at the Point, I brought my son and thought, ‘We have to go meet him.’ From the first conversation, it was clear he understood the kind of space we wanted to create.”

Richardson sourced wood from around Maine to make a custom wall styled like a locker room

“We looked at pictures of our current locker room and asked, ‘How can we recreate that look and feel and make it work in the new space?’” said De Oliviera. “Jeremy sketched on a piece of cardboard.”

Local makers

Merchandise from other local makers and artists includes Benoit’s Design Co., a Westbrook maker of pennants and flags from natural materials; and Good Stock, a pop-up jewelry store and charm bar that has partnered with Hearts since the club’s inaugural season.

Hand-painted buoys come from Maine Wooden Buoys in Friendship. Dirigo Union, the team's supporters club, gives buoys to Hearts players as “Man of the Match” awards.

The fused glass objects, in the team's signature red, are created by Beth Hamilton, owner and artist of Yay!Studio in North Yarmouth. For each heart sold, Hamilton donates another to Portland nonprofit Maine Needs’ “Pocket Hearts Project.”

In addition to more merchandise space, the location can be used for front office staff, game day preparation and more in-store events, De Oliveira previously told Mainebiz.

The Hearts of Pine, part of the USL One League, play at Portland's Fitzpatrick Stadium; the next home game is this Saturday, May 30, against Spokane Velocity FC of Washington state.