Rally House will take over Rite Aid’s old storefront on Forbes Avenue, causing frustration from some Pitt students who hoped for other types of establishments.
Rally House, a chain store that sells sports merchandise, will take over the empty storefront at 3700 Forbes Ave. The location’s previous tenant Rite Aid shut down after the company filed for bankruptcy in May.
The new store will become the 11th Rally House within 5 miles of Pittsburgh. It will be the second location in Oakland, with another Rally House located inside the Petersen Events Center.
Shawn Fertitta, executive director of the Oakland Business Improvement District, said the organization is excited to welcome Rally House to Oakland and see it blend with the “vibrant” restaurant scene in the neighborhood.
“Adding more retail helps create a more balanced commercial district. Pittsburgh is a city full of pride, and Oakland sits at the heart of many of the institutions and traditions that fuel that spirit,” Fertitta said. “Having a store like Rally House that celebrates our city, our universities and our sports teams will be a strong addition to the district.”
Some students on Pitt’s campus aren’t feeling the same welcoming spirit. Julius Praefcke, a junior emergency medicine major, said the new store “feels pointless” because universities like Pitt already sell merchandise themselves.
“It’s the worst possible thing they could have put there. We go to a university, so we [already] have university stores around here,” Praefcke said. “If you really want a jersey that bad, just go buy one [at a Pitt store] or order one. We really don’t need a Rally House here.”
Rally House did not respond to a request for comment.
Many students said they would have preferred another type of store open in the empty space. Delaney Butzine, a senior rehab science major, said that while she isn’t upset about the Rally House, she would have liked a more practical option, like a grocery store or a new convenience store.
“I wish they were putting something else in, because we already have places to shop for Pitt merch,” Butzine said. “I miss having the Rite Aid there because the only other convenience store that is close is CVS, and that’s close to where I live, but it’s not for a lot of other people.”
Simona Matiyevsky, a junior emergency medicine major, said she would have liked something other than a Rally House in the empty storefront.
“I feel like there’s probably other things that would benefit the people living here,” Matiyevsky said. “Literally anything else — we don’t need another sports store.”
With an existing Rally House store up the street in the Pete, some students are questioning the need for two locations so close in proximity. Matiyevsky said she doesn’t see the point in adding another sportswear store when Oakland already has a Rally House, the University Store on Fifth and the Pitt Shop.
“I don’t really think it’s smart to have another one right there,” Matiyevsky said. “There are already two [similar] stores on Forbes.”
Josie Lauro, a first-year nursing major who did not yet attend Pitt when the Rite Aid was open, said she doesn’t have strong feelings about the new Rally House.
“I don’t really care that much about [the Rally House],” Lauro said. “I probably won’t go there because I feel like it’s not needed because there’s already things like that around campus.”
Some students say prices at Rally House are too high for them. Butzine said she has never shopped at Rally House due to the prices.
“I’ve looked at the stuff [in the Rally House in the Pete], and it is very expensive,” Butzine said. “It’s cute, it’s just not in my budget, so I’ve never bought anything there.”
Praefcke said that while he has shopped at Rally Houses before, he is not planning on going to the new one, also believing the store is overpriced.
“Rally House is way too expensive for things that I can get online for way cheaper,” Praefcke said. “If it was a local store, I’d support it because it’s a local store, but it’s a chain, so there’s no point in not ordering online because you’re just supporting one big business.”
Andrew Spowart, a senior actuarial mathematics major, said the price point of Rally House has held him back from purchasing merchandise there.
“Rally House is a pretty expensive store in terms of clothing and merch,” Spowart said. “And I feel like the average Pitt student is going to go to the Pitt Shop, where we get discounts for being a student, rather than going to Rally House and paying $80 for a hoodie.”