Dive Brief:

• Dick’s Sporting Goods Inc. Tuesday reported a whopping 65% increase in web sales and announced a plan to more tightly connect its e-commerce with its physical stores.

• The company also said that it has expanded its ship-from store fulfillment program with 120% more orders in Q4 fulfilled from store inventories. The retailer is also testing a buy online/store pickup program in 100 of its 560 stores.

• Dick’s is also expanding its Field & Stream physical stores, which debuted in August in some locations in Pennsylvania, and is planning eight more locations.

Dive Insight:

Dick’s Sporting Goods is putting a lot of effort into both its e-commerce and physical stores — and into tightening the ties between them. The retailer has also been creative with stores-within-stores like Under Armour, and the new Field & Stream specialty retailers that cater to outdoors people. During a recent conference call with analysts, chairman and CEO Edward W. Stack noted that Forrester Research predicted that, by 2017, consumers will spend some $5 in brick-and-mortar stores for every dollar spent online. Plus, he said that shoppers at Dick’s who visit the retailers stores and its site spend three times more than those who stick to one venue or another.