Academy Sports + Outdoors will continue its robust retail expansion plan with the opening of nine new store locations across eight states this fall.
The store openings are in line with Academy’s goal to open between 15 and 17 new stores by the end of fiscal 2024. Thus far this year, Academy has opened three new stores.
“Academy Sports + Outdoors is excited to continue our company growth with nine new stores this fall, making shopping with us more convenient than ever in existing markets and providing new customers with the best localized assortment of sports apparel, footwear, equipment and outdoor gear,” said Academy’s senior vice president of retail operations Eric Friederich in a statement. “Academy is looking forward to helping more active families have fun out there and become the new go-to destination for customers looking for the top brands at the lowest prices.”
The new stores will be located in the following cities:
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- Beckley, W. Va.
- Kingsport, Tenn.
- Bloomington, Ind.
- Selma, N.C.
- Ft. Myers, Fla.
- Birmingham, Ala.
- Springfield, Ohio
- Bradenton, Fla.
- Bulverde, Tex.
In March, the sporting goods retailer announced that it plans to open between 160 and 180 stores over the next five years, up from a plan issued last April that outlined a strategy for 120 to 140 stores in that time frame. These new openings — as well as other new stores that have launched since 2022 — feature a new design layout that emphasizes the chain’s broad footwear assortment.
For example, footwear is now typically featured in the back of an Academy store with a large center aisle that is visible to customers when they enter. The footwear section itself features shelving units of varying heights to feature different brands more effectively as well mannequins to help tell different brand stories.
Footwear makes up about 20 percent of Academy’s overall business. In Q1, the category was down 1 percent. In an interview with FN at the time, Academy chief merchandising officer Matt McCabe said that athletic was the standout category in footwear, with brands like Nike, New Balance and Brooks leading the way. Asics also rose in the ranks. On the casual side, the second best-performing footwear category, brands like Skechers, Crocs and Hey Dude were the top performers. McCabe added that the retailer is continuing to focus its efforts on winning over more female consumers in footwear.
Academy reports earnings for the second quarter on Sep. 10.
