Let Retail Dive's free newsletter keep you informed, straight from your inbox. <br><br>Sumit Anand also previously worked as the senior vice president of business and technology transformation at Signet Jewelers.<br><span><span><span><span><span><span>Academy Sports and Outdoors continues to add new faces to its C-suite. Last year, the sporting goods retailer <a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/academy-sports--outdoors-announces-executive-appointment-302033676.html">hired Chad Fox</a> to serve as its chief customer officer, a newly created position putting him in charge of the company’s marketing, customer care and customer insights functions</span></span></span></span></span></span><span><span><span><span><span><span>. That same month, the company <a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/academy-sports--outdoors-announces-executive-appointment-302041301.html">appointed Robert Howell </a>as its chief supply chain officer</span></span></span></span></span></span><span><span><span><span><span><span>. </span></span></span></span></span></span><br><span><span><span><span><span><span>Anand’s hiring comes as the company plots an ambitious store expansion. Last March, the company said it plans to </span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.retaildive.com/news/academy-sports-and-outdoors-plans-store-openings-five-years/711264/"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>open between 160 and 180 new stores</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></a><span><span><span><span><span><span> over the next five years, and sees the potential to have a national presence of over 800 locations. The retailer wants to open stores in new and existing markets, but it is keenly focused on smaller and mid-sized markets with lower volume but potentially higher profitability. </span></span></span></span></span></span><br><span><span><span><span><span><span>As Academy Sports and Outdoors grows its brick-and-mortar footprint, the retailer is </span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.retaildive.com/news/academy-sports-and-outdoors-expands-nike-assortment-sales-declines/735614/"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>integrating more products from a major brand: Nike</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></a><span><span><span><span><span><span>. At the end of last year, Lawrence said the company would introduce full assortments of Nike footwear, accessories, sporting goods and apparel in more than 140 stores in the first quarter of 2025. </span></span></span></span></span></span><br><span><span><span><span><span><span>In its most recent quarter, the retailer saw net sales</span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.retaildive.com/news/academy-sports-and-outdoors-expands-nike-assortment-sales-declines/735614/"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> decline by 3.9%</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></a><span><span><span><span><span><span> from the previous year to $1.34 billion, while comparable sales dropped nearly 5% year over year. Net income fell by over 34% to $65.7 million. Academy Sports and Outdoors will <a href="https://investors.academy.com/news-releases/news-release-details/academy-sports-outdoors-announces-fourth-quarter-and-fiscal-2024">announce its fourth quarter</a> and fiscal 2024 results on March 20.</span></span></span></span></span></span><br>Get the free daily newsletter read by industry experts<br>Since December, retailers including Party City, The Container Store and Joann have all filed for Chapter 11.<br>As a channel, it remains key to growth for many retailers. But the era of the DTC brand as we know it is over.<br>Subscribe to Retail Dive for top news, trends & analysis<br>Get the free daily newsletter read by industry experts<br>Since December, retailers including Party City, The Container Store and Joann have all filed for Chapter 11.<br>As a channel, it remains key to growth for many retailers. But the era of the DTC brand as we know it is over.<br>The free newsletter covering the top industry headlines<br><br><a href="https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiiwFBVV95cUxPamFiRHEycDRWTzhHR3hjNl9nZmRoWGE0UVRaMFI4RTBTMVhlRFBVNnB1dU42ZEFTck5MTWtRb0QtOTlkNEdkeU1YMEhaR1lkbENpZEg4clZ3ZG83b2IwU3dQYzQ0djZubTMxeVVoNUVnNkMyM3Izal80a280QWRGQVJTUGEtSGlzX0M0?oc=5">source</a>
