Dick’s Opens More House of Sport Stores
Dick’s Sporting Goods continued to expand its House of Sport experiential brand with the openings of nine locations in July and August. These new stores join the first three House of Sport stores in Victor, New York; Knoxville, Tennessee; and Minnetonka, Minnesota.
The new stores opened in the following communities:
- Katy, Texas, at The Shops at Park West.
- Baybrook, Texas, at Baybrook Mall in Friendswood, Texas.
- Davenport, Iowa, at Davenport Commons.
- Champaign, Illinois, at Market Place Shopping Center. (View video below).
- Chesapeake, Virginia, at Greenbrier Square.
- Fayetteville, North Carolina, at Freedom Town Center.
- Latham, New York, at Latham Farms.
- Scranton, Pennsylvania, at Viewmont Mall.
- Johnson City, New York, at Oakdale Commons.
Each grand opening comprised a weekend of special events, including in-store and parking lot activities and games, mystery gift card giveaways and sweepstakes, and celebrity athlete appearances.
House of Sport stores span around 100,000 square feet. They offer a wide assortment of products and interactive experiences, including a climbing wall, multiple golf bays with TrackMan simulators, and multi-sport cages that can be used for baseball, softball, lacrosse and soccer. The stores provide shoppers an opportunity to try products as well as measure and track their performance.
In terms of brand-specific opportunities, House of Sport has what Dick's is calling its "Co-Lab" department, a space for big brands such as PepsiCo's Gatorade to rent out to showcase its products in a "unique light," Emily Corum, community experience director, Dick's Sporting Goods, told Cyndi Loza, P2PI managing editor, during a recent visit to the Champaign location. The space is rented out four times a year to different brands.
House of Sport stores also focus on “deep integrations” with the local community through partnerships and events, according to a media release. Some locations have a field attached to the store that can be used for open play, clinics, league space or as an ice rink in the winter.
"These grand openings have been a superb way to introduce the House of Sport store to our customers in these markets," Toni Roeller, senior vice president, in-store environment, visual merchandising and House of Sport, said in the release. "It's exciting that the feedback from customers has been so positive and the communities see the stores as a destination. We're equally excited about bringing House of Sport to more communities in 2024 and beyond."
Dick’s anticipates opening between 75 to 100 House of Sport stores by 2027.