Academy Sports + Outdoors continues new store expansion with first location in Peoria, Illinois

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Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc. (NASDAQ: ASO) announced the opening of its first store in Peoria, Illinois, slated for summer 2023. This location, over 60,000 square feet, will offer a diverse range of products for outdoor activities and sports. Academy plans to expand its footprint significantly, targeting 13 to 15 new stores this year and a total of 120 to 140 by 2027. The Peoria store aims to enhance customer experience with services like buy online, pick up in-store, and free shipping on orders over $25. Additionally, the location is expected to create around 60 jobs in the community, reinforcing Academy's commitment to local engagement and support for sports programming.

Positive

Opening of the first Peoria, IL store signifies expansion into new markets.
Plans to open 13-15 new stores in 2023 and 120-140 by 2027 demonstrate aggressive growth strategy.
Expected to create approximately 60 new jobs in the Peoria community.
Enhanced customer experience through services like buy online, pick-up in store, and free shipping.

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04/25/2023 - 08:06 AM

The area's first Academy store will become the go-to destination for apparel, footwear, hunting, fishing, outdoor cooking, camping, and team sports equipment

KATY, Texas, April 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc. ("Academy") (Nasdaq: ASO), a leading full-line sporting goods and outdoor recreation retailer whose mission is to provide "Fun for All", will open its first location in Peoria, IL in the summer of 2023. This is Academy's second location in Illinois which is set to open in Grand Prairie Plaza and will be over 60,000 square feet. Academy plans to continue its expansion efforts with the goal of opening 13 – 15 stores this year, and a total of 120 to 140 new stores by the end of 2027.

"We're excited to be a new destination for the Peoria community to find everything they need to pursue their sports and outdoors passions with top national brands like Nike, adidas, YETI, Columbia, Carhartt, and many more," said Sam Johnson, Academy's Executive Vice President of Retail Operations. "At Academy Sports + Outdoors we deliver fun with a broad assortment of products at a great value and unmatched service that makes it easier for active families planning a day on the Illinois River, kids gearing up for summer fun, and anglers reeling in a big catch."

The location will carry a wide assortment of sports and outdoors products for customers to choose from to kickstart their fun. Academy is focused on providing the best service, experience, and value to help customers pursue the activities that they love and make new memories on any budget. With help from knowledgeable team members, Peoria customers can expect to find the best assortment of athletic and casual shoes, sports and outdoors equipment, and clothing from top, national brands such as Nike, adidas, The North Face, Under Armour, Columbia, YETI, Carhartt, Wrangler, CAT, Traeger and more. Academy also offers tremendous everyday value and quality through its exclusive, private label brands such as Magellan Outdoors, Freely, R.O.W., BCG, H2OX, Mosaic, and O'Rageous, which cover outdoor apparel and equipment, women's and men's apparel, workout attire, fishing equipment, and water gear, respectively.

Academy aims to empower, encourage, and connect with our communities and schools through local efforts that involve sports programming, field and stream activities, and military and first responder organizations. Through these programs, Academy motivates active families to try new things, promotes safety in sports and outdoors, and ultimately builds connections that make a positive impact in the area. Academy looks forward to building relationships throughout Peoria to support and create new opportunities for residents to have fun out there.

Academy's new store will also provide a dynamic and fun shopping experience while offering convenient options, such as buy online pick-up in store service, and free shipping on most online orders over $25. Customers can also take advantage of a suite of in-store services, including free assembly on grills and bikes, fishing line winding/spooling, scope mounting, bore sighting, and the ability to purchase hunting and fishing licenses.

Until the new store opens, customers can shop online at academy.com or through Academy's mobile app, receive digital ads and offers, engage with Academy's social media accounts (@academy) and follow us on TikTok (@academysports), sign up for email alerts, and watch out for information on upcoming grand opening events.

This location is expected to bring an estimated 60 new jobs to the community. Individuals interested in careers at Academy Sports + Outdoors can visit careers.academy.com to apply for open positions.

About Academy Sports + Outdoors
Academy is a leading full-line sporting goods and outdoor recreation retailer in the United States. Originally founded in 1938 as a family business in Texas, Academy has grown to 269 stores across 18 states. Academy's mission is to provide "Fun for All" and Academy fulfills this mission with a localized merchandising strategy and value proposition that strongly connects with a broad range of consumers. Academy's product assortment focuses on key categories of outdoor, apparel, sports & recreation and footwear through both leading national brands and a portfolio of private label brands. For more information, visit www.academy.com.

Forward Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These forward-looking statements are based on Academy's current expectations and are not guarantees of future performance. Forward-looking statements are usually identified by or are associated with such words as "intends," "will," "plan," "believe," "expect," "may," and/or the negatives or variations of these terms or similar terminology. Actual results may differ materially from these expectations due to changes in global, regional, or local economic, business, competitive, market, regulatory and other factors, many of which are beyond Academy's control. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements are set forth in Academy's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), including Academy's most recently filed Annual Report on Form 10-K under the caption "Risk Factors," as may be updated from time to time in our periodic filings with the SEC. Any forward-looking statement in this press release speaks only as of the date released. Academy undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, except as may be required by any applicable securities laws.