Academy Sports + Outdoors Expands Aggressively—Are These New Stores a Retail Masterstroke? 

Academy Sports and Outdoors navigated through a challenging environment in the first quarter of fiscal 2025 marked by new complexities due to newly imposed tariffs and macroeconomic uncertainties. Their financial performance for the quarter reported sales of $1.35 billion, slightly down by 0.9% from the previous year, translating to a negative 3.7% in comparable sales. Despite unfavorable weather conditions early in the quarter impacting sales, momentum improved towards the end as milder temperatures arrived in March and April, yielding a positive comp in April thanks to strategic initiatives and partnerships. Gross margins showcased a slight improvement up 60 basis points to 34% driven by a mix of merchandise and shrink enhancements.