A POPULAR sports retail chain with over 400 US stores is set to soon shutter its only location in a city.
Although the oldest Champs Sports store is preparing to close in just days, shoppers won’t be able to get their hands on any discounts.
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Champs Sports is set to shut down its only store in Ocala, Florida, around 80 miles from Orlando.
Located within the Paddock Mall at 3100 SW College Road, the sports store’s last day will be January 26, a local outlet confirmed with staff last week.
As the Champs Sports store leaves the Paddock Mall, the mall will still have at least seven other stores that mainly sell footwear, such as Foot Locker and JD Sports.
Champs Sports employee James Jamar turned to Facebook to share the sad news with fans and thank them.
“Champs Sports in Paddock Mall, the company’s oldest store, will close its gates for good by the end of the month,” he wrote in a post earlier this month.
“From your Champs team in Ocala, we appreciate our loyal customers and thank them for making our job enjoyable and fun.”
Jamar noted that the franchise was closing multiple locations across the US, and “this being the oldest store it has to go unfortunately.”
Several Champs Sports fans expressed their disappointment over the impending closure.
“Only place I grab shoes from,” wrote one shopper, as another cried, “Noooooo.”
Multiple customers inquired about liquidation sales, to which Jamar responded “I wish,” noting that the remaining inventory would be shipped to other Champs Sports stores.
CHAMPS CHALLENGES
Champs Sports is an American sports retailer that sells clothing, equipment, footwear, and accessories.
The retail chain, with just over 400 stores across the country, was acquired by Foot Locker in the 1980s.
The parent company – the largest footwear chain in the US – shuttered dozens of stores last year, including some Champs Sports locations.
Foot Locker will continue with its mass closures, planning to shut down 400 underperforming locations by 2026.
The closures will include 275 Foot Locker stores and 125 Champs Sports locations.
When Foot Locker announced its closure plans in spring of 2023, the company noted it would be shutting down mostly underperforming mall locations.
The chain would instead focus its efforts on standalone stores less dependent on anchor stores such as Macy’s and JCPenney that drive traffic to malls.
Although Foot Locker has plans to significantly reduce its global store count, the company outlined plans for growth during a call to analysts last year.
“We will increase our square footage by 10% to over 14.5 million square feet as we open up larger, more experiential expressions of our brands with a wider product assortment. New formats will surpass 400 locations,” said Anthony Aversa, senior vice president of store development.
Aversa referred to the chain’s initiative to create “experiential” store concepts to attract to younger shoppers, which includes focusing on categories of different types of sneaker shoppers.
The groups, each created by Foot Locker, include “athletes,” “sneaker mavens,” “fashion-forward expressionists,” and other groups who desire quality and comfort in shoes as well as deal hunters.
We will increase our square footage by 10% to over 14.5 million square feet as we open up larger, more experiential expressions of our brands with a wider product assortment. New formats will surpass 400 locations.”
Anthony Aversa
Other popular retailers are conducting mass closures across the country.
Twenty-three Walgreens stores are set to close soon as bosses double down on shutdown plans.
Plus, check out exact Big Lots locations closing as the chain reveals over 700 are set to shut their doors for good – and it’s only phase one.
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