Academy Sports hits store count landmark, supports growth

Katy, Texas – Academy Sports + Outdoors is hitting a landmark in its store count.



The sporting goods chain will open its 200th store in Tupelo, Mississippi on July 3.



The Tupelo store will be approximately 63,000-sq.-ft. and will bring 100 new jobs to the area. This will be the first location in Tupelo and the fifth store in Mississippi.



Since 2007, Academy Sports has doubled its store count and annual sales, surpassing $4.1 billion in 2014. During that stretch, the company also launched its e-commerce website, opened a second distribution center in Jeffersonville, Georgia, and broke ground on a third distribution center located in Cookeville, Tennessee.



To support its existing stores and ongoing growth, Academy Sports also invested in the implementation of a new retail management system and expanded its omnichannel efforts, including a ship-from-store program.



Furthermore, Academy Sports recently completed an expansion of its corporate office in Katy, Texas, adding more than 200,000-sq.-ft. of office space. Construction is also underway on its third distribution center in Cookeville, Tennessee, which is set to open in 2016 and expected to add approximately 700 associates during a five-year period.