Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc. ASO is benefiting from its focus on opening new stores, resulting in its footprint expansion in the United States. This strategic investment has supported the company in reaching a milestone in March 2025.
With the debut in markets of Pennsylvania and Maryland, the company was able to surpass the 300 stores milestone and expand its retail footprint from 19 states to 21. The locations include New York and East Harrisburg, PA, and Hagerstown, MD. Besides, ASO also opened a new store in Kansas City, MO, during the same month.
Per Eric Friederich, senior vice president of retail operations at Academy Sports, “Opening our 300th store and growing into two more states are exciting milestones, and we look forward to continuing our growth into new markets and becoming the go-to destination for customers looking for a localized assortment with the top brands at the lowest prices.”
In fiscal 2025, Academy Sports expects to open a total of 20-25 new stores, with a new store opening anticipated in April, in another new location in Charlotte, NC.
In the first quarter of fiscal 2025, the company expects to keep the store openings to five, with the expectation of the majority of the openings happening in the first half of the fiscal year.
Academy Sports focuses on investment for various growth initiatives, which comprise new store expansion, omnichannel advancements, digital marketing projects and existing store improvements. Also, product portfolio expansion strategies bode well.
The company, which shares space with other market players including American Outdoor Brands, Inc. AOUT, Johnson Outdoors Inc. JOUT and Brunswick Corporation BC, also benefits from their respective in-house initiatives. The initiatives focusing on digital capabilities, market reach expansion and effective marketing strategies are mainly aimed at enhancing customer experience and business growth.
Store expansion, being Academy Sports’ prime growth strategy, is proving accretive for its comps trends. In fiscal 2024, the company opened 16 new stores across 10 different states, including its debut in Ohio. ASO expects to open about 120-140 new stores by the end of 2027.
American Outdoor: This Missouri-based company is a provider of outdoor products and accessories, including hunting, fishing, camping, shooting and personal security and defense products, for rugged outdoor enthusiasts. Accretive initiatives like new product launches, footprint expansion and customer-centric marketing capabilities are fostering American Outdoor’s growth trends.
Johnson Outdoors: This Wisconsin-based leading global outdoor recreation company designs, manufactures and markets a portfolio of winning, consumer-preferred brands across four categories: Watercraft, Marine Electronics, Diving and Outdoor Equipment. Johnson Outdoors is benefiting from strategic investments aimed at improving its profitability and undertaking cost savings efforts to enhance margins.
Brunswick: Based in Illinois, the company designs, manufactures and markets recreational marine products, including boats, engines and accessories, and also operates the world's largest boat club. Successful new product launches, management of field inventory and production volumes are proving favorable for Brunswick’s growth prospects despite a challenging macro environment.
Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report
Johnson Outdoors Inc. (JOUT) : Free Stock Analysis Report
Brunswick Corporation (BC) : Free Stock Analysis Report
American Outdoor Brands, Inc. (AOUT) : Free Stock Analysis Report
Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc. (ASO) : Free Stock Analysis Report
This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).
Zacks Investment Research
免责声明：投资有风险，本文并非投资建议，以上内容不应被视为任何金融产品的购买或出售要约、建议或邀请，作者或其他用户的任何相关讨论、评论或帖子也不应被视为此类内容。本文仅供一般参考，不考虑您的个人投资目标、财务状况或需求。TTM对信息的准确性和完整性不承担任何责任或保证，投资者应自行研究并在投资前寻求专业建议。