When COVID-19 sent self-quarantined shoppers toward more ordering online, what did the largest sporting goods retailer in the United States do? It opened more stores, including its biggest yet.
DICK’S Sporting Goods, with more than 850 stores, has long embraced geographic analysis in its decision-making. Executives used location intelligence to perfect their store opening strategy pre-pandemic and optimally fulfill online orders during the pandemic—a combination that keeps the retailer more resilient.
In the first three months of 2021, 70 percent of DICK’S online orders were fulfilled at storefronts that acted like mini distribution centers. This is further evidence of evolving buying behaviors and channel mixes; it’s no longer enough to excel at either in-store experience or online—a retailer must do both.
Big-box retailers who pivoted early on in 2020, turning storefronts into distribution centers for online orders and curbside pickup, found success even as consumers…