Dick’s Sporting Goods Has Closed Most Moosejaw Stores

Dick’s Sporting Goods has been closing stores over the past year after a recent acquisition. But the stores aren’t Dick’s Sporting Goods locations. So what’s going on? 

Find out why Dick’s Sporting Goods decided to acquire and then close several stores and how that could affect your ability to save money shopping for outdoor sporting goods.

Dick’s Sporting Goods picked up Moosejaw last year in a deal with Walmart, which previously owned the outdoor retailer.

The deal included 15 stores in five states. Walmart acquired Moosejaw in 2017.

Dick’s Sporting Goods already had its own outdoor retailer called Public Lands, which it launched in 2021. The stores are large retail spaces with around 50,000 square feet, while Moosejaw has around 4,000 to 5,000 square feet at its locations.

But Public Lands focuses on physical retail space while Moosejaw has built a robust ecommerce business for outdoor needs, giving Dick’s Sporting Goods more access to ecommerce.

Details of the deal weren’t disclosed, but Walmart's acquisition of Moosejaw in 2017 can give us some clues as to the company's worth.

Walmart picked up the company for $51 million in February 2017 before selling it to Dick’s Sporting Goods in a deal that was completed in March 2023.

Dick’s Sporting Goods announced in September that it would be closing a majority of Moosejaw’s physical stores as part of the acquisition.

The company ended up closing 11 locations, including stores in Olathe, KS, Chicago, IL, Boulder, CO, and Kansas City, MO, and seven stores in Michigan. It also shuttered its headquarters in Madison Heights, Michigan.

The company didn’t shut down every Moosejaw location. There are still three stores where you can shop in person if you live in the right places.

Dick’s Sporting Goods decided to keep three spots open in Michigan, Utah, and Arkansas for customers to look through items in person.

Dick’s Sporting Goods plans to focus on its outdoor brand Public Lands for its physical locations where customers can shop for their outdoor needs.

Customers can shop at one of eight Public Lands stores in the U.S., from Massachusetts to Oregon.

Outdoor recreation saw a rise in interest as more Americans took to the great outdoors during the pandemic, with people taking on hiking, biking, boating, and other outdoor activities. One study showed an estimated 20% increase in outdoor activities due to the pandemic.

That increase also saw a boost in the market for spending on the outdoors with the industry being worth around $40 billion.

In 1992, Moosejaw was founded in Michigan as an outdoor brand selling a variety of brands of outdoor gear. Its website states, “Moosejaw is the most fun outdoor retailer on the planet, according to our moms.”

Customers can buy products on the company’s website and have them shipped or can arrange to get some items with curbside pick-up at Dick’s Sporting Goods or Public Lands.

Dick’s Sporting Goods was started as a bait and tackle shop in upstate New York in 1948 before expanding to include camping gear, athletic apparel, footwear, and more.

The company is currently headquartered in Pittsburgh and has more than 850 locations across its brands, including Dick’s Sporting Goods, Public Lands, Golf Galaxy, and its three Moosejaw locations.

Despite closing the Moosejaw locations, outdoor activities are still popular with consumers, and there are ways to help you save money while also getting the best gear.

Use one of the best rewards credit cards to earn points and rewards when you shop at Dick's or Moosejaw if there happens to be one still open near you.

It’s also a good idea to review your budget before you make big purchases at stores like Dick’s Sporting Goods.