PALMER TWP., Pa. – As baseball season gets into full swing, a new store is offering a wide array of MLB jerseys, hats and other items, along with a full lineup of other licensed sports gear in Northampton County.
A new location of Pro Image Sports, offering licensed sports apparel, headwear and fan gear, opened Friday at the Palmer Park Mall in Palmer Township, franchisee Aman Singh told 69 News.
The updated space was previously home to a Claire’s store, which closed last year.
A new location of Pro Image Sports, offering licensed sports apparel, headwear and fan gear, operates at the Palmer Park Mall in Palmer Township.
Ryan Kneller
Pro Image was founded in 1985 by brothers Chad and Kevin Olsen with a single store at the ZCMI Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, according to a company description.
The original location at the ZCMI Center proved very successful, and the brothers quickly began franchising the concept.
Today, there are more than 180 franchise stores nationwide, with more under development.
Another Lehigh Valley location of Pro Image Sports operates on the upper level of the Lehigh Valley Mall in Whitehall Township.
In Palmer, customers can shop a wide array of MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL and NCAA merchandise, including jackets, sweatshirts, T-shirts, jerseys, baseball hats, winter hats, scarves, socks, wall art and signs.
A new location of Pro Image Sports, offering licensed sports apparel, headwear and fan gear, operates at the Palmer Park Mall in Palmer Township.
Ryan Kneller
There are also tumblers, can koozies, lanyards, football helmets, bracelets, necklaces and collector pins.
“We only carry officially licensed team items,” Singh said.
“So far, we’ve been selling a lot of Phillies and Yankees items, but that’s to be expected with baseball season just starting. We have something for everyone, and in the coming weeks, we’re going to continue get even more merchandise in.”
A large selection of clothing, hats and other items showcase designs from Philadelphia sports teams, including the Phillies, Eagles, Flyers and 76ers, but teams from across the country are represented.
Individuals can shop pieces featuring popular teams such as the Baltimore Orioles, Boston Bruins, Chicago Bulls, Dallas Cowboys, Green Bay Packers, Los Angeles Dodgers, Miami Heat, Minnesota Vikings and Notre Dame Fighting Irish, among many others.
The store also is looking to feature items from the Lehigh Valley IronPigs and local schools such as Lehigh University, Singh said.
A new location of Pro Image Sports, offering licensed sports apparel, headwear and fan gear, operates at the Palmer Park Mall in Palmer Township.
Ryan Kneller
“Be it NHL, NBA, MLB, or NFL, for matches across all seasons, Pro Image Sports is just the right sports apparel store with fan gear sporting your favorite team!” reads a message on the company’s website.
“From our exhaustive range of sports collection encompassing all leagues, teams, and players, you can snap up T-shirts, jerseys, team neckties, snapback hat, tumblers, pint glasses, and many more! Set your pulse racing with exclusive merchandise from every league in football, baseball, hockey, and basketball, with unique memorabilia stocked up during every new season! “
The new Palmer store, open during regular mall hours, will hold a grand opening with discounts and a ribbon-cutting ceremony on April 11, Singh said.
The store also features a loyalty program, where customers can earn points toward discounts on future purchases, Singh added.
A new location of Pro Image Sports, offering licensed sports apparel, headwear and fan gear, operates at the Palmer Park Mall in Palmer Township.
Ryan Kneller
“We’re very excited to be joining the mall, and the community is also excited,” Singh said.
“The mall had an Easter egg hunt this past Sunday, and we had a lot of people come in to shop and tell us how happy they are that we’re here.”
More mall changes
Pro Image Sports joins a diverse lineup of Palmer Park Mall tenants, which includes other new additions such as Nestly’s Treasures Boutique; This, That & The Third Shop; Whoodle Works Studio; and Ohana WonderTown Playground.
Additionally, Bharat Bistro, offering authentic North Indian and South Indian cuisine, in January held a soft reopening following five months of upgrades at the Palmer Park Mall.
Bharat Bistro
Nestly’s Treasures, an independently owned business offering unique gifts, clothing, fashion accessories and more along with customization services, on March 7 opened a new store at the Palmer Park Mall.
For the past two years, Nestly’s owner Vanessa Prince has been operating the business as a kiosk at the mall, and she is continuing to operate the kiosk alongside the new store.
“Business has been great, and I’m very blessed,” Prince told 69 News. “I’m super happy to be opening my second location.”
Nestly’s Treasures Boutique recently held a grand opening at the Palmer Park Mall.
Ryan Kneller
The new store expands Nestly’s Treasures’ successful concept, including an even larger selection of custom, high-end pieces, Prince said.
Shoppers can browse custom shoes, clothing, handbags, hats, jewelry, sunglasses and more. The business also features a bridal section with tiaras and other pieces.
“I do a lot of custom work, and that’s what led to the expansion,” Prince said.
“I add bling to all kinds of merchandise. I do shoes. I do purses. I do hats. I do jackets.”
This, That & The Third Shop, a thrift shop carrying a wide assortment of new and gently used items, opened on Oct. 3, owner Azanae Diggs said.
The store occupies an updated space that previously housed Uncle Juju’s Crazy Deals, a discount variety store offering deals on clothing, furniture, housewares and more, which closed last summer.
This, That & The Third Shop operates at the Palmer Park Mall in Palmer Township.
Ryan Kneller
Diggs operates This, That & The Third Shop with her mother, Andrea Diggs.
For roughly a year, the pair had operated the business out of another brick-and-mortar location at 1011 Route 22 in Phillipsburg, and they decided to move operations to the Palmer Park Mall.
This, That & The Third Shop carries a wide assortment of children’s and adult clothing, shoes and accessories, along with home decor, furniture, small appliances, luggage, toys and more.
Customers also can browse household items such as rugs, lamps and mirrors.
This, That & The Third has a goal of providing “quality items at low costs,” and it invites bargain hunters to shop “where affordable treasures await!”
“Whether you’re hunting for unique home decor, fashionable accessories, or thoughtful gifts, our ever-changing inventory guarantees fresh finds every visit,” a company description reads.
Whoodle Works Studio, a versatile creative painting and party studio, opened Sept. 27 at the Palmer Park Mall.
The studio occupies an updated space that previously housed Mom & Pop’s General Store, which closed last April.
Whoodle Works Studio, owned and operated by sisters Claudia Rodriguez and Sandra Catenaro, offers public and private parties, workshops and DIY projects such as paint-your-own bisque pieces, stuff-your-own plush animals, splatter art and various arts and crafts programs.
The facility is open for walk-in customers and also is available to host birthday parties and other private events.
Different party packages are available, and the studio also hosts public events such as parties for Halloween and other holidays.
Rodriguez and Catenaro, who both reside in Forks Township, previously operated another creative party studio, Happy Plaster Place, more than 20 years ago in New Jersey.
Whoodle Works is named after the family’s late dog, Maximus, a wheaten terrier poodle mix.
“He was a whoodle and had just the best personality,” Catenaro said.
“He was always so happy and eager to have fun. Max was also incredibly welcoming and loved people. He radiated positivity, and that’s the same energy that we’re looking to have at our studio. We want positive vibes where everyone comes to have fun.”
The second location of Ohana WonderTown Playground, a multi-level children’s recreational facility, opened in July.
Owner Yadira Disla opened the first Ohana WonderTown Playground in July 2023 at the South Mall on Lehigh Street in Salisbury Township.
Ohana WonderTown Playground operates at the Palmer Park Mall in Palmer Township.
Ryan Kneller
The new Palmer venue features a similar concept to the South Mall location, with foam flooring and bi-level, soft-play structures featuring bridges, tunnels, sliding boards, obstacle courses, ball pits, foam pits, climbing apparatus and more.
There are also ride-on toys and interactive play buildings, including a supermarket and medical clinic.
The new indoor playground covers about 4,000 square feet, roughly 1,000 square feet more than the South Mall location, Disla said.
The Palmer location features two play areas – one for ages 4 and under and another side for ages 10 and under, Disla said.
“I am very excited,” Disla said shortly after the Palmer location’s opening.
“A lot of people have wanted me to open something bigger for their kids who were outgrowing the facility at the South Mall. I’ve also had a lot of customers ask me to open a location in the Bethlehem or Easton areas because that is more convenient for them.”
Ryan Kneller
The Palmer Park Mall’s roster features more than 40 tenants, including prominent chains such as Boscov’s, Spencer’s and Dairy Queen/Orange Julius and local favorites such as Freeman Jewelers, Spin Me Round and Logan’s Sports Collectibles.
The mall is open 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sundays.