With the final days of Sports Authority’s operations coming into view, the sports equipment chain is preparing to for one last blowout sale. Everything must go.
Sports Authority is shutting down 463 stores from coast to coast after filing for bankruptcy protection a few months back, although some store locations could be filled by rival chain Dick’s Sporting Goods over time. But first, Sports Authority must get rid of as much merchandise as it can before closing the doors for good. The final going-out-of-business sale is expected to begin as soon as Friday, giving customers some good deals over Memorial Day weekend and throughout the summer. The sales are expected to run until the end of August.
The sporting goods chain was great for a while, but lost its appeal in the changing landscape of merchandise sales. Big box stores are being passed over for by the convenience of online retailers like Amazon and other retailers specializing in athletic goods. The company is reportedly $1.1 billion in debt.
“It’s a hypercompetitive industry,’’ says Katie Nemec, spokeswoman for the National Sporting Goods Association. Nemec also made note of the benefit online retailers have by not having to add sales tax for many customers.
“If that company is in a state where they don’t have to charge it, we see it almost as a discount to the consumer.’’
That has always been a big hurdle brick-and-mortar locations have never been able to clear, unless they are in a tax-free location like Delaware. Alas, the end is near for Sports Authority, and you may be able to get a good deal out of it.