Dick's Sporting Goods taps CMO amid leadership shakeup

Dive Brief:

Dick’s Sporting Goods on Tuesday announced Scott Hudler will join the company as senior vice president and chief marketing officer, responsible for marketing and consumer engagement strategy and reporting to Dick’s President Lauren Hobart, according to a company press release.
Hudler has spent the past 11 years at Dunkin' Brands, in various roles, most recently as senior vice president and chief digital officer. In other positions he was also responsible for advertising, media, promotions and e-commerce functions for Dunkin’s 12,000 restaurants worldwide.
In May, the sports retailer announced a series of leadership changes, including the departure of Chief Operating Officer André Hawaux and the appointment of Hobart as president. At the same time, Dick's announced 160 job cuts, mainly at its corporate store support center.

Dive Insight:

Although Dick’s has experienced some tailwinds from the collapse of Sports Authority last year, the sports retailer missed first quarter profit and sales expectations. Net sales in that quarter rose 9.9% to $1.8 billion and consolidated same-store sales rose 2.4%, falling short of the company’s expectations of 3% to 4% growth. E-commerce grew 11% to reach 9.3% of total net sales.

CEO Ed Stack has previously said these changes will make Dick’s more efficient and boost the company’s efforts to reach and sell to customers across sales channels. In a statement on Tuesday, Hobart emphasized the importance of the company’s digital strategy.

"Scott will play a pivotal role in driving our continued digital transformation across all consumer touch points and optimizing all of our marketing channels," she said. "His experience will make an immediate impact on our team, and we are thrilled to welcome him to the Dick’s family.”

The sports retailer has emerged as the dominant player in the market after Sports Authority succumbed to bankruptcy and Dick’s picked up its intellectual property for $15 million and some of its store locations in a separate $8 million deal. Dick’s has also acquired $43 million of assets from Golfsmith, which it plans to fold into its Golf Galaxy chain.

Going forward, GlobalData Retail analyst Håkon Helgesen thinks Dick’s can become stronger through efforts to prune vendors and create a “clearer shopping experience,” but he suggested this year will be a rebuilding period. “Overall, we see most of this year as being one of transition for Dick’s,” Helgesen said. “The company has survived the turmoil in the market, but it now needs to enact strategies that will allow it to thrive.”