Lids was founded in 1995 in Zionsville, Indiana. The company operates a chain of hat and sports apparel stores, as well as an eCommerce site.
The company sold more than 6,000 hats alone during their first 5 years of business. The majority of items sold are sports or sport team hats, however, other brands are also available, including Columbia, Nike, and Hurley. In addition to hats, the company offers pennants, jewelry, bumper stickers, storage systems for hats, and Nike footwear.
Lids also goes by the name of Hat World. Hat World and Lids were acquired in April of 2004 by Genesco, Inc. Lids and Hat World have more than 1,130 locations, mainly in malls, airports, and factory outlet stores. Most locations offer embroidery and custom designs.
