Retail chain sells sorely needed outdoor fun
Academy Sports + Outdoors sells outdoor fun, says CEO Ken Hicks. Now, more than ever, that’s just what the doctor ordered as the spread of COVID-19 raises stress levels. The Katy company, founded in 1938, has 259 stores nationwide that offer apparel, hunting and fishing gear, patio sets, grills and a range of sports and recreation equipment.
For a second consecutive year, Academy ranked No. 3 on the Chronicle 100 list of top private companies. The retailer, which has 31 stores in the Houston area, reported revenues of $4.8 billion in 2019, flat from the previous year.
Academy is one of the largest private employers locally, with a workforce of about 4,600 in Greater Houston. It employs about 21,000 nationally.
Over the last year, Hicks said, the company expanded its apparel and footwear offerings in partnership with brands such as Nike, Adidas and Columbia. It also invested in upgrades to its online business, including enhanced search capabilities and curbside ordering and pay functions.
Those improvements came just in time for the pandemic, which pushed more customers online. The ability of customers to order products online and pick them up the same day is a boon, he said.
“It also differentiates us from some of the online players,” he said.
The company also started experimenting with new store designs, such as a smaller format store outside Dallas. The overarching goal, he said, is to provide customers with avenues to shop however they want to shop.
Sales began to pick up at the end of last year, Hicks said, and rose 3 percent in March from a year earlier, even as the coronavirus pandemic began to take hold.
High-performing products include fishing gear, especially rods and reel combos. The outdoor market, which also includes hunting and fishing gear, has been a strong performer for the company, Hicks said.
Since the virus hit, he said, stores have seen an uptick in bicycle sales and fitness equipment as customers, stuck at home, look to stay in shape.
“Academy has historically performed well in those stressful times,” he said, “be they the 2008 recession, (Hurricane) Harvey and COVID.”
“Academy has historically performed well in those stressful times.” CEO Ken Hicks