Dive Brief:
- A few months after acquiring the outdoor retailer from Walmart, Dick’s Sporting Goods is closing 11 of Moosejaw’s 14 stores, the retailer confirmed to Retail Dive via email.
- The store closings include seven stores in Michigan, as well as one each in Chicago; Olathe, Kansas; Boulder, Colorado; and Kansas City, Missouri. Moosejaw’s three remaining locations will be in Salt Lake City; Bentonville, Arkansas; and Birmingham, Michigan.
- The stores will close by February next year, as will Moosejaw’s headquarters in Madison Heights, Michigan, as Dick’s integrates its Moosejaw and Public Lands operations under one team. Dick’s did not respond to questions about layoffs at Moosejaw as a result of the shift.
Dive Insight:
After announcing its intention to acquire Moosejaw in February for an undisclosed amount, Dick’s is consolidating its two outdoor banners under one team.
“After careful review of our outdoor specialty business, we have decided to form one team that will support the operations of Public Lands and Moosejaw. The team will be based at Public Lands’ headquarters in Pittsburgh, PA,” a Dick’s Sporting Goods spokesperson said via email. “This move supports our business optimization efforts and will allow us to operate more efficiently, quickly leverage best practices across our outdoor business and drive our long-term success. We look forward to continuing to provide outdoor enthusiasts great gear and service on Moosejaw.com, PublicLands.com and at Moosejaw and Public Lands retail locations.”
However, while Moosejaw will still operate a handful of stores, the majority of its locations are now slated for closure. One of the few remaining open is a store the outdoor retailer opened in former owner Walmart’s hometown of Bentonville in 2021. Dick’s did not respond to questions about what its long-term plans are for Moosejaw’s physical retail footprint.
When Dick’s acquired Moosejaw, the retailer operated seven of its own Public Lands stores and touted the new banner’s “thriving e-commerce presence.” Moosejaw was meant to expand that outdoor portfolio and “reaffirm [Dick’s] commitment to the long-term business opportunity” in the outdoor space. Even then, the retailer indicated the two businesses would be closely tied, with Moosejaw CEO Eoin Comerford reporting to Public Lands’ CEO Todd Spaletto.
