2001 wasn’t only the year that Ichiro came to Seattle, the city hosted the All-Star Game, and the team secured a record-setting 116 wins, it was also the second full season that Julie McGillivray worked on the Mariners’ merchandise team. While she was thrown into one of the most popular team years to date, she took the challenge head-on with a mission for improvement and innovation, and has forever changed the Mariners’ retail standards for the better.
Upon her hiring in 2000, McGillivray was the only buyer for all merchandise inside the ballpark and in outside stores. She was tasked with communicating with the team’s suppliers and ensuring that every store had the correct inventory.