The race to get a grip on the athletic footwear and sporting goods retail landscape continues.
On Tuesday, U.K.-based sneaker retailer JD Sports revealed its plans to acquire Birmingham, Ala.-based retailer Hibbett. The acquisition is JD’s latest move to make inroads in the hyper-competitive U.S. retail landscape, which began in March 2018 when it announced the acquisition of Finish Line for $558 million.
Currently, JD Sports has a fleet of 3,400 stores in 32 countries, and is continuing to expand. Its primary competitors in the U.S. are Foot Locker Inc., which operates 2,600 retail stores in 26 countries, and Dick’s Sporting goods, which has more than 850 doors between all of its banners.
Below is a breakdown of the banners JD Sports, Foot Locker Inc. and Dick’s Sporting Goods owns.
JD Sports
- In March 2018, JD Sports announced the acquisition of Finish Line for $558 million.
- In December 2020, JD Sports announced its acquisition of Shoe Palace Corp. for $325 million.
- DTLR was acquired by JD Sports in February 2021 for $495 million.
- JD Sports announced plans to acquire Hibbett in April 2024, and stated the transaction is expected to be completed in the second half of the year.
Dick’s Sporting Goods
- Dick’s Sporting Goods agreed to buy Golf Galaxy in November 2006 for $225 million, and the acquisition was finalized in February 2007.
- Dick’s Sporting Goods announced in November 2020 that it would enter the outdoor category with Public Lands. The first store opened in Cranberry Township, Pa., in September 2021.
- In April 2021, the retailer revealed a new store concept, House of Sport, replete with “multisport experiences.”
- Dick’s announced its off-price debut in May 2021 with Going, Going, Gone!, as well as its Dick’s Sporting Goods Warehouse Sale store format.
- In February 2023, Dick’s Sporting Goods announced the acquisition of outdoor retailer Moosejaw from Walmart. The terms were not disclosed.
Foot Locker Inc.
- Champs Sports and Kids Foot Locker are subsidiaries of Foot Locker Inc. In June 2022, Foot Locker Inc. merged the Eastbay.com retail website into the Champs Sports banner, in line with its plan to consolidate the two banners that began in 2019.
- Foot Locker Inc. announced in August 2021 the acquisition of WSS (Eurostar Inc.) for $750 million and Atmos (Text Trading Company K.K.) for $360 million, both cash deals. (In October 2023, the company confirmed with FN that it was closing Atmos’ three U.S. stores and focus on Japan.)
About the Author
Peter Verry is the Senior News and Features Editor for Athletic and Outdoor at Footwear News. He oversees coverage of the two fast-paced and ultracompetitive markets, which includes conducting in-depth interviews with industry leaders and writing stories on sneakers and outdoor shoes. He is a lifelong sneaker addict (and shares his newest purchases via @peterverry on Instagram) and spends most of his free time on a trail. He holds an M.A. in journalism from Hofstra University and can be reached at peter.verry@footwearnews.com.
