Dick's Ups New-Store Growth Plans

PITTSBURGH-Dick’s Sporting Good is increasing the number of new-store openings it originally planned this year from 20 to 24 after more opportunities arose in the Pacific Northwest with the liquidation of the Joe’s sporting goods chain where Dick’s is entering a handful of former spaces. And Dick’s is following up in 2010 by opening another 24 namesake stores as well as five of its Golf Galaxy units.

Plans are still in the works to operate 800 Dick’s stores throughout the country, up from its current 409, said Edward Stack, the retailer’s chairman and chief executive officer, during his company’s second-quarter earnings call. “We’re not changing our store count right now,” he said.

But many of those stores could go into existing spaces since developers are having trouble coming up with capital to build new projects. “We think the new development piece is going to be difficult,” Stack said.