Academy Sports opening 11 stores — here’s where; Q2 sales rise 3.3%
Academy Sports + Outdoors continues to expand its store footprint.
The Texas-based sporting goods and outdoor recreation retailer has 11 new stores (locations at end of article) on tap for the third quarter, with plans to open a total of 20 to 25 new locations this fiscal year. To date, Academy has opened eleven stores in 2025, bringing its total to 306 locations across 21 states.
Second Quarter
Academy reported that its net sales increased 3.3% to $1.6 billion for the quarter ended Aug. 2. Online sales surged 17.7%. Comparable sales edged up 0.2%, compared to a 6.9% decline in the year-ago quarter.
Net income fell 12.1% to $125.4 million. Adjusted earnings per share were $1.94, compared to $2.03 in the prior year quarter. Analysts had expected earnings per share of $2.16.
“We were pleased to see sales inflect to a positive comp in the second quarter, driven by steady improvements in the business that are a result of the progress we continue to make against our strategic initiatives,” said Steve Lawrence, CEO. “Customers are gravitating to our diversified assortment and our value proposition is resonating with them, which has allowed us to pick up market share in the first half of the year."
The retailer noted it has mostly offset the impact of current incremental tariffs for the remainder of the year through various tactics, including partnerships with factories and vendors, shifting production to different countries, adjusting unit buys where needed and pulling in additional inventory from brands that had available goods in domestic warehouses.
“We believe we now have additional visibility into tariff impacts and are well positioned to mitigate them," stated CFO Carl Ford.
Academy updated its fiscal 2025 guidance, raising the low end of its sales forecast while maintaining the high end. It now expects revenue between $6 billion and $6.265 billion compared to its previous forecast of $5.970 billion to $6.265 billion.
The company estimates adjusted earnings per share of $5.60 to $6.30, up from it previous guidance of $5.45 to $6.25 per share.
Store Openings
The following Academy locations are set to open this fall:
- Rome, Ga.
- Cullman, Ala.
- Mishawaka, Ind.
- Lakeland, Fla.
- Columbia, Tenn.
- Albany, Ga.
- Palestine, Texas
- Batesville, Miss.
The following locations opened in August:
- Boardman, Ohio
- Beaufort, S.C.
- Virginia Beach, Va.
Academy stores offer apparel, footwear, sports and camping equipment, hunting and fishing gear, outdoor cooking and more from top national brands as well as the chain’s private label brands. In addition, the retailer offers free services such as grill and bike assembly, scope mounting, bore sighting, line winding/spooling and propane exchange. Hunting and fishing licenses are also available to purchase in stores.
