Hewettli: women are becoming a bigger focus

Hewettli

CORAOPOLIS, Pa. — Dick’s Sporting Goods might be best known as the place for a Little League Baseball coach to stop in for new gloves, a high-school basketball player to buy sneakers or an amateur golfer to pick up a new putter. But the sporting goods retailer, now the last national player left standing and so a category killer in its industry, wants more women to shop there, realizing it’s always placed a bigger emphasis on men. To do this, it is making sure it has the products adidas originals femme women are looking for. “We’ve been somewhat maniacal with the brands about a lack of product assortment for girls and women. ... We get a lot of complaints, understandably, from either girls or parents of girls who don’t feel like when they go into the store there’s enough product at all levels ... and product for them,” President Lauren Hobart said at the Goldman Sachs Global Retailing adidas femme pas cher Conference earlier this month. “We’ve got our own private brands that we’re trying to [use to] address the issue ... and we’re doing everything we can to get the [national] brands to meet it,” she said. The effort comes as Dick’s Sporting Goods is beginning to pull itself out of a sales slump. Sales at stores open for at least 12 months were up 3.2% in the latest quarter, following seven consecutive quarters of either flat growth or losses. A successful attempt to woo more female customers could help boost adidas running femme the business overall, and keep it growing. Shares of Dick’s Sporting Goods are up more than 30% this year, with more investors betting on a successful turnaround. The company has been strengthening its relationships with top brands such as Nike and Adidas and adding more touch-and- feel opportunities in stores. It’s also growing its private labels for apparel and accessories, which is where women are adidas running femme vetement becoming a bigger focus.