What Leaders Can Learn from Dick’s, Target & the Athleisure Boom
Update: 2025-09-22
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This episode is brought to you by Commerce.
Sports retail is moving fast — and sometimes sideways. This week, Shop Eat Surf Outdoor Editor in Chief Tiffany Montgomery and long-time industry analyst Matt Powell join Retail Remix for a candid discussion about what’s really happening with the biggest names in sports and activewear — and what retailers can learn from both their wins and missteps.
Listen in to hear:
- Why Dick’s Sporting Goods’ acquisition of Foot Locker is both a bargain and a big bet on Nike’s turnaround;
- The operational edge that’s helped Dick’s pull away from competitors;
- Nike’s strategic missteps and why recovery will take longer than Wall Street hopes (but is in the cards);
- Why lagging in grocery and losing its sense of fun have been just as harmful to Target as its recent DEI reversal;
- Lessons from Vuori’s cross-category and cross-gender success — and what legacy players like Lululemon can learn; and
- Why executives shouldn’t be lulled into a false sense of security following relatively rosy Q2 earnings.
From footwear giants to big-box chains, this episode pulls no punches in looking at the forces reshaping retail.
RELATED LINKS:
- Learn more about the strategy and advisory work of Matt Powell at BCE Consulting
- Explore more coverage of the active outdoor industry from Shop Eat Surf Outdoor
- Related reading: Dick’s Sporting Goods to Acquire Foot Locker in $2.5 Billion Deal
- Related reading:The Evolution of Journeys Under New President Andy Gray
- Read more from Retail TouchPoints
- Catch up on all episodes of Retail Remix
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