Academy Sports + Outdoors announced the opening of five new stores in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2025, adding locations in Russellville, Arkansas; Seguin, Texas; Fort Wayne, Indiana; El Paso, Texas; and New Braunfels, Texas. These openings bring the company’s total number of new stores for the year to 24, a key milestone in its expansion plan to open 160‑180 new locations over the next five years.
Each grand opening was accompanied by community‑focused initiatives that generated $120,000 in charitable contributions and created more than 1,400 new jobs across the new stores. The company partnered with local parks and recreation departments to host donation shopping sprees for youth, reinforcing its commitment to community investment and brand loyalty.
The expansion strategy focuses on off‑mall sites in underserved midsized markets, where Academy’s value‑based pricing and broad assortment of national and private‑label brands can capture market share. The five new stores are part of a steady acceleration: 14 new stores opened in fiscal 2023 and 16 in fiscal 2024, showing a clear upward trajectory in store growth.
Academy’s most recent full‑year results for fiscal 2024 showed a decline in net sales and comparable sales, but management expects a return to topline growth in fiscal 2025. The new store openings are expected to drive comparable sales growth and enhance the company’s omnichannel capabilities, positioning Academy to capitalize on holiday season demand.
Senior Vice President of Retail Operations Eric Friederich said, “We are thrilled to expand our footprint with 24 new stores while also giving back to local communities that demonstrate a passion for sports and outdoors. As the holiday season approaches, we are confident in our value‑leading product assortment of top brands curated to bring joy to every member of the family at unbeatable prices.”
The company’s expansion is expected to strengthen its competitive position by increasing store density in high‑potential markets, improving customer access to its wide product mix, and supporting the integration of physical and digital shopping experiences. The new locations are projected to contribute to the company’s goal of achieving sustained revenue growth and margin expansion in the coming years.
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