RIP Sports Authority

[Road Guy]

Just another example of how not changing what you do in business will catch up to you sooner or later.

I'm not sure if they lost out solely to Dicks or REI or a combination of both. But their store layout (even in new stores) was outdated.  I really dislike Dicks stores, they look nice but don't offer anything I need, and what they do offer is 10% higher than even REI sometimes, but they "look cool"..

They were our  go to store for ski stuff, for a family of 5 skiing isn't a cheap hobby but we could go there to grab gloves, hats, helmets, etc.. They also had a really good summer sale to prep you for winter.   Dicks doesn't really sell any ski stuff here in CO (which is odd) they mainly sell clothes and maybe 2 models of snowboards.

oh well, and on a side note I just bought around 15 random t-shirts, running shirts, and yes even a broncos t shirt, for less than $100 bucks..

 

[P-E]

Can't remember the last time I bought something at a Sports Authority.   Usually would walk in, not find what I wanted, and walk out.

I tend to get most of my more expensive camping stuff online rather than REI these days - it's just less expensive.  I still use REI for small stuff like camp food, Nalgene bottles, camp fuel, etc.

Skis: I usually try to get last year's stuff at the local chain ski shop.

 

[Road Guy]

Yeah I never bought much from them until I moved here, the local ski shops (even selling last years models here) were too much $$$$ & there wasn't really one close to us.

They ran this event called "sniagrab"  (Bargains spelled backwards) in August and you could get last years stuff for more than 50% off, was a pretty good set up when your outfitting 5 people.

There will defin be a void for "regular family's" who don't buy $1,000 ski's in the area.. 

 

[Dleg]

Are they closing in CO only, or everywhere?  We have one here, Would hate to see it close, even if there are plenty other options. 

 

[wilheldp_PE]

They just opened the only one in my area last year.  I only stepped foot in it once, and it was slammed so I didn't stay long.  

 

[Road Guy]

All of them are closing

 

[DuckFlats]

Dicks and Academy Sports put it to them. Both offer better prices in my area. I think sports authority really made a mistake when they got rid of their hunting and fishing items.

 

[Dleg]

Damn I just saw that on my news feed. I'd better get to ours after work and pick up what I can!

 

[Road Guy]

I don't think all stores are liquidating just yet, the one closest to our house (just drove by it) is still operating normally, the one near my work looked like a tornado went through it.  I am going to go back over the weekend, they had (North Face, Columbia, etc Ski Pants for like $20 bucks)  I just don't know what sizes all the kids where

 

[Dleg]

I went to mine last night, and nothing special was happening. But we heard today that the foreclosure company (or whatever) is taking over the store on Tuesday.  I'm hoping that means eveything goes on sale then... we've already picked out what we need!

 

[Road Guy]

Went to the "castle" store in downtown Denver- which sucked cause today was the 420 day "do over" from the actual 420 day when it snowed. The people attending this event are as you can imagine them- total losers..

Got a snowboard, bindings, 4 pair of ski pants (2 north face, 2 cheap brand) 2 goggles, some t-shirts, an avalanche jersey for less than $300 bucks..

Everything was for sale even the shelves(no joke)

There was a dude buying at least 40 snowboards, must own a shop somewhere to resell....

 

[jeb6294]

Dicks and Academy Sports put it to them. Both offer better prices in my area. I think sports authority really made a mistake when they got rid of their hunting and fishing items.

Holy crap...if ****'s prices are better then SA's prices must have been awful.  The last time I went to one was probably 15 years ago when I was working in Jacksonville, FL.  I liked it at the time but mostly because they were one of the first big sporting goods stores.  I remember it being like the sporting goods version of a K-Mart while ****'s does a better job of making an overpriced lack of selection look good at least.

 

[snickerd3]

The SA in my work town has been in closing mode for a couple of months now.  

 

[Road Guy]

I always found dicks prices higher than pretty much any other Sporting Goods Stores in town, they do a good job of clearing things out at the end of the season & we used to buy stuff for the  boat at the end of summer, but I rarely bought stuff there during the actual season.

We probably bought most all of our camping gear at REI garage sales

 

[DuckFlats]

I usually only go to those stores for sales anyway, so maybe that's why it seemed cheaper haha. Academy Sports is my new go to store though.

 

[Road Guy]

There is not one close to me, but there are some in Denver, I will have to check one out next time I go by one..

We do a lot of window shopping at Cabelas but very little buying

 

[DuckFlats]

I heard bass pro may be buying Cabelas. We don't have Cabelas in FL. We have Bass Pro, Gander, and I guess I would include Dicks and Academy Sports in there.

 

[jeb6294]

I heard bass pro may be buying Cabelas. We don't have Cabelas in FL. We have Bass Pro, Gander, and I guess I would include Dicks and Academy Sports in there.

From what I'm seeing here, that could actually make sense.  There's been a Bass Pro up on the NW side of Cincy for quite a while now at this big *** shopping mall that was supposed to be the next big thing...popped up shortly after the Mall of America.  The new hotspot was just north of Cincy when Ikea moved in so the Bass Pro said they were going to build a new store there and close the old one.  In the meantime a bunch of new stuff went in up there including a Cabelas.  Even though it's been a couple years, there hasn't been anything new from Bass Pro which makes me wonder if that's true and they're just going to keep the Cabelas and close the old Bass Pro sometime.  That or Bass Pro decided to stay where they are now that there'd be direct competition right up the highway.

 

[Dleg]

Went to the "castle" store in downtown Denver- which sucked cause today was the 420 day "do over" from the actual 420 day when it snowed. The people attending this event are as you can imagine them- total losers..

Got a snowboard, bindings, 4 pair of ski pants (2 north face, 2 cheap brand) 2 goggles, some t-shirts, an avalanche jersey for less than $300 bucks..

Everything was for sale even the shelves(no joke)

There was a dude buying at least 40 snowboards, must own a shop somewhere to resell....

The castle used to be the only store, back when it was 'Gart Brothers' sporting goods. I am not sure if SA bought them out, or if GB expanded and became SA.  but I have fond memories of the Castle from my youth in Denver.  I won an SLR camera there in Jr. High school by submitting a "camping tip" that got published in the Denver Post.  The trip to Gart Brothers downtown to pick up the camera still sticks out in my mind as one of the most exciting things that happened to me as a kid. 

Kind of sad, actually, thinking about it being no more...

 

[snickerd3]

One word...Scheels!!!!!   it puts all the others to shame.  They have a full size ferris wheel inside the store.