() is the largest full-line sporting goods retailer in the world. It is headquartered in
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania ,
USA and has locations in 34 states with 314 stores. Mainly an
East-coast and
Mid-west retailer, it has recently expanded into
Texas ,
Kansas ,
Missouri ,
Colorado ,
Utah ,
Nebraska ,
Nevada ,
Michigan ,
Wisconsin ,
Virginia ,
Minnesota , and
Georgia with more stores to come.
Dick's was founded by its namesake
Dick Stack when he was just 18 years old in 1948. Stack worked at an Army/Navy store in
Binghamton, New York , when his idea of expanding its product line to include fishing supplies was mocked by the owner. Relating his disappointment to his family that night, his grandmother decided to give him her life's savings and instructed him to "follow his dreams" with it. Opening up the first Dick's as a "bait & tackle" fishing supply store that same year and expanding into general sports merchandise in the late 1950's.
In the early 1990s Dick's began chain operations, opening additional stores across
Upstate New York ,
1 before moving its headquarters to Pittsburgh in 1994.
2
In 2004, the company acquired mid-west sporting goods retailer Galyan's 48 locations. In 2007 they acquired Golf Galaxy which operated 65 golf superstores.
Through its close to 300 locations and a growing internet order business, Dick's provides authentic full-line sporting goods with a broad assortment of brand name sporting goods equipment, apparel, and footwear in a specialty-store environment.
Dick's Sporting Goods' retail internet site is operated under a licensing agreement with
GSI Commerce , which also operates the e-tailing site for
Sports Authority .
Main competitors based in the United States include the for-profit national and regional stores
Bass Pro Shops ,
Cabela's ,
Eastern Mountain Sports ,
Gander Mountain ,
Sierra Trading Post , Sport Chalet, and Sportman's Warehouse, as well as national sporting goods retailers such as
Sports Authority ,
R.E.I. , and
Big 5 Sporting Goods , web retailers such as
Moosejaw.com , Altrec.com and
Backcountry.com , and a host of local independent retailers.
dates back to the company's pre-chain days and is a fraction of its modern-day stores' size.]]
- Dick's Sporting Goods was the featured company on the NBC Reality show, '' The Apprentice ''. It was the first time in the show's history there was a mass firing after a task.
- Mad Money host Jim Cramer considers his recommendation to buy Dick's (one day before a 15% selloff in the stock due to a weak earnings report) among his worst recommendations ever.
- In 2006, Dick's Sporting Goods became the title sponsor to the Dick's Sporting Goods Open in Endicott, New York . This will be a stop on the Champions Tour in 2007.
- On November 8, 2006, Dick's Sporting Goods revealed a deal for the naming rights to the new stadium for the Colorado Rapids Major League Soccer club. The venue will be called Dick's Sporting Goods Park .
- On November 13, 2006, Dick's Sporting Goods acquired Golf Galaxy.
- Dick's Sporting Goods features a rewards card called Dick's Sporting Goods Score Card. For every dollar you spend you earn a point (or two points if you purchase a Dick's private label item). Once you reach 300 points you will receive a $10 coupon back in the mail. The company also offers Dick's Sporting Goods Credit Rewards Mastercard.
- Dick's Sporting Goods locations often feature a netted, one-person driving range as well as a putting green in its Pro Shops.
