Academy Sports lays off 100 at Katy offices

Company looking to invest more in stores as sporting goods market gets more crowded

Academy Sports + Outdoors lays off 100 employees at its Katy headquarters Thursday, citing the need for greater efficiency as the sporting goods market grows more competitive.

Academy Sports + Outdoors laid off 100 employees at its Katy headquarters Thursday, citing the need for greater efficiency as the sporting goods market grows more competitive in Houston and elsewhere.

The company said the changes will allow it to invest more heavily in its stores and customer service. It plans to open another six locations this year.

“Today’s changes, while difficult, will create a more nimble and collaborative organization that will better serve our stores and the changing needs of our customers,” Academy president and CEO J.K. Symancyk said in a statement.

The cuts eliminate only a small percentage of the retailer’s Houston-area workforce of about 5,400. The national sporting goods chain has about 30 Houston-area locations, more than any of its competitors.

Still, the move illustrates a shift in strategy as shopping preferences change and e-commerce sales claim a larger share of the market. The sporting goods sector has grown particularly challenging as department stores, discounters and other retailers sell more activewear.

The Houston market became even more competitive late last year, when Dick’s Sporting Goods opened six stores locally. The company, which could not be reached for comment, has expanded aggressively since then and expects to have 25 stores here within the next four years.

Ed Wulfe, CEO and founder of commercial real estate firm Wulfe & Co., said he doubts Dick’s had much impact on Academy’s de-

cision to cut employees because it’s too soon to determine the impact of its Houston expansion.

“The sporting goods business is competitive,” he said. “I think it’s just good business management in this environment.”

In a research note in May, J.P. Morgan analyst Christopher Horvers called Dick’s a “long-term survivor in a world of desperate competitors.” He noted that online sales and ubiquity of sports apparel have challenged many of the sector’s retailers, and he expects some to close stores or file for bankruptcy protection in the coming years.

The sector has already lost several major players. Gander Mountain, a sporting goods and firearms retailer with three Houston-area locations, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection earlier this year and closed all of its area locations and dozens of others nationwide.

Colorado-based Sports Authority also filed for bankruptcy protection last year and closed 11 Houston-area stores as part of its nationwide shutdown. Dick’s acquired some of those locations.

Hibbett Sports, REI, Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s still have stores in the region, though each have fewer locations than Dick’s and Academy.

Academy did not detail the positions it eliminated, saying only that the affected employees didn’t work with customers. The company has offered them help with the transition.

“The sporting goods business is competitive. I think it’s just good business management in this environment.” Ed Wulfe, CEO and founder of commercial real estate firm Wulfe & Co.