Paddlesports consumers are losing another brick-and-mortar chain where they used to be able to buy boats and other gear with Dick’s Sporting Goods recently announcing that it is closing 11 of 14 of its Moosejaw stores, just six months after purchasing the retail chain from Walmart.
Part of Dick’s strategy to focus its outdoor business around its new Public Lands stores, consolidating its team at is existing Public Lands’ headquarters in Pittsburgh, the stores are scheduled to close in February 2024, including Moosejaw’s headquarters in Madison Heights, Mich. Dick’s will keep selling outdoor gear, however, including all of Moosejaw’s paddlesports gear, through Moosejaw.com.
Moosejaw currently carries such paddlesports brands as Old Town Canoe, Bote, Ocean Kayak, Oru Kayaks, Wilderness Systems, Advanced Elements, Werner, Bending Branches, Perception Level6 and more.,
The move comes after iconic Minneapolis paddlesports and outdoors retailer Midwest Mountaineering announced in August that it is closing its doors.
Seven stores in Michigan will close, including those in Ann Arbor, Belmont, downtown Birmingham, Detroit, East Lansing, Grand Rapids, and Gross Pointe, as well as its stores in Chicago, Boulder, Colo., Kansas City, Mo., and Olathe, Kan. The company announced that three stores will stay open in Salt Lake City, Birmingham, Mich., and Bentonville, Ark.
“This move supports our business optimization efforts and will allow us to operate more efficiently, quickly leverage best practices across our outdoor business and drive our long-term success,” said Dick’s in a statement about the closings. “We look forward to continuing to provide outdoor enthusiasts great gear and service on Moosejaw.com, PublicLands.com and at Moosejaw and Public Lands retail locations.”
Founded in Michigan in 1992, Moosejaw operates primarily as an e-commerce company, which brings in the majority of its sales, augmented by its retail outlets.