Youth sports boom drives Dick’s Sporting Goods growth

Dick’s Sporting Goods recently saw its mobile app surge to the top of the iPhone App Store’s chart, joining popular AI apps such as ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini.

Executives were surprised as the app’s downloads climbed rapidly, with the surge unfolding in real time. The momentum followed a viral social media post that showcased an app feature that rewards fitness milestones with loyalty points.

The spike highlights the retailer’s growing digital reach and how the company has become the go-to destination in youth sports.

The company reported record sales of $14.1 billion last year, roughly doubling revenue over the past decade.

With more than 700 stores across the United States, the retailer is a top stop for parents purchasing equipment for young athletes.

Families now spend more than $40 billion each year on children’s sports activities, according to the Aspen Institute.

In 2024, the average sports family spent more than $1,000 on a child’s primary sport, about 46% more than in 2019, with baseball spending rising nearly 70%.

The company has strengthened its position through technology investments. In 2016, it acquired the youth sports app GameChanger, which now generates about $150 million in annual revenue.

The retailer is also expanding large “Houses of Sport” stores and testing smaller “Fast Break” locations following its acquisition of rival Foot Locker. 

Despite strong long-term growth and outperformance against the S&P 500 since 2020, the company’s stock has slipped about 3% over the past year.