Bad news for Dick’s Sporting Goods customers, as the company has started closing some of its stores dedicated to outdoor gear sales. Here’s the reason why and which stores have been shut down.
Which stores has Dick’s Sporting Goods closed?
The closures have mainly affected Moosejaw locations, which Dick’s acquired from Walmart in 2023. The stores were located in the following areas:
- Salt Lake City
- Bentonville, Arkansas
- Birmingham, Michigan
Why are Dick’s Sporting Goods closing stores?
In a challenging time for the outdoor industry, Dick’s Sporting Goods is scaling back its business, including nearly phasing out the Moosejaw brand. Customers who visited the old Moosejaw website are now redirected to Public Lands, where they see a message stating that they have partnered to offer the best brand-name gear, the same loyalty program, great deals, and a 1% cashback offer.
Dick’s has faced difficulties with its outdoor business segment. In 2018, it limited gun sales in its subsidiary Field & Stream, then sold or closed its remaining stores of that brand in the following years. In 2024, it sold the entire business to two country music artists. Around the same time, the company started reducing its hunting product inventory in its own stores.
Public Lands, launched in 2021, is one of Dick’s recent initiatives to attract outdoor enthusiasts, with less emphasis on hunting and more on camping and other recreational activities. The company had been in an expansion mode in previous years; however, the last few years have been tough for outdoor product retailers, with store closures and layoffs in the industry.
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Which Dick’s Sporting Goods stores are still open?
Only three stores listed on the Public Lands website are still operational. The remaining stores are located in:
- Framingham, Massachusetts
- Woodbury, Minnesota
- Cranberry Twp., Pennsylvania
History of Dick’s Sporting Goods
The company was founded in 1948 when 18-year-old Dick Stack was working at a military surplus store in Binghamton, New York. Dick, an avid fisherman, was approached by the store owner to create a list of necessary products to enter the fishing business.
After Dick presented his recommendations, the owner told him he was a “silly boy” and had no idea what he was doing. Offended by the comment, Dick quickly resigned. He went to his grandmother’s house, a place he had spent a lot of time at as a child, and told her what had happened.
After hearing his story, Dick’s grandmother asked how much it would cost to open the store himself. Dick estimated it would take $300. She then went to the cookie jar where she had saved all her life’s savings, gave him the $300, and said, “Do it yourself.”
With that money and his tireless dedication, Dick opened a bait and tackle shop in Binghamton. By the late 1970s, he expanded his product range to include much of what Dick’s Sporting Goods offers today.
Today, Dick’s Sporting Goods is a brand that inspires trust and excitement, motivating, supporting, and equipping athletes to achieve their goals. Based in Pittsburgh, this leading omnichannel retailer serves athletes and outdoor enthusiasts through more than 850 stores, including Dick’s Sporting Goods, Golf Galaxy, Public Lands, and Going Going Gone!, as well as online and through the Dick’s mobile app.
Additionally, Dick’s owns and operates Dick’s House of Sport and Golf Galaxy Performance Center and also manages GameChanger, a youth sports mobile platform offering live streaming, scheduling, communications, and score tracking.
