It's unclear if all will continue to operate until the Olympics open in 14 1/2 months with online sales sure to remain. Tokyo organizers say almost 90 licensed souvenir shops were open around Japan at the end of April. Will fans who've already bought tickets - organizers say 7.8 million tickets were available - get refunds? If there are no fans at the Olympics, what happens to projected income from ticket and merchandise sales, expected together to produce income of about $1 billion for local organizers. If they do go ahead, will athletes be quarantined first, and will fans be allowed to attend? What about packing 11,000 athletes from more than 200 countries and territories into the Athletes Village on Tokyo Bay? How will athletes train safely? And how will they travel the globe to qualifying events? Organizers and the International Olympic Committee maintain the games will be held, though many scientists and health experts argue they shouldn't go forward without a vaccine. “Many will view 2020 Tokyo merchandise as a novelty product representing all that 2020 stood for globally - a global conversation piece for those around the world,' Carter added. 'The bottom line question being who will capture this official/unofficial revenue?” “If there are no Tokyo Olympics in 2021, the value of the already created 2020 merchandise will increase, and increase even more rapidly if the existing product is removed from retail,” David Carter, who teaches sports business at the University of Southern California, said in an email to The Associated Press. Olympics have been canceled in war years - 1916, 1940, and 1944 - but never for a virus. Conversely, pent-up demand might also spur sales if the games are finally held. Strangely, a cancellation might stimulate souvenir sales, driving demand for memorabilia from the 2020 Olympics that didn't take place - not once, but twice - because of the pandemic. Organizing committee President Yoshiro Mori has said if they can't go ahead on July 23, 2021, they'll be canceled - not postponed again. And one large question looms to increase the anxiety: Can the postponed games really take place? The pandemic and the uncertainty have emptied Olympic stores of customers.

TOKYO (AP) - These are lonely times for thousands of souvenirs in dozens of Tokyo 2020 Olympic stores, which are drawing few customers with the postponed games more than a year away and facing an unclear future.Īnd they're worrying moments for Tokyo organizers, who hope to generate $100 million by selling 5,500 “licensed”products including official Olympic chopsticks, Olympic umbrellas, and large stuffed mascots that can go for almost $200.

J. thompson olympic games tokyo 2020