Academy sells sports and outdoor gear through a growing chain of US stores, but running costs have outpaced sales for years. A strong 2026 second quarter lifted its margin on goods; costs still grew slightly faster than sales.
A child's first baseball glove, a fishing rod or a tent are the kind of purchases Academy Sports and Outdoors is built around. The company runs a growing chain of US stores selling outdoor gear, sports equipment, clothing and footwear. It mixes well-known national brands with its own house brands at several price levels, aimed at families. It makes money on the gap between what shoppers pay and what the goods and the stores cost.
Shoppers pay for choice and value in one place. In the year ended January 31, 2026, which Academy calls , outdoor gear was the largest category at $1.8 billion of sales, ahead of clothing, sports equipment and footwear. Two things decide what the company keeps. The first is the margin on goods, set by prices, discounts and the cost of buying and shipping products, a significant share of them made abroad. The second is the cost of running stores, staff and head office, which does not shrink in quiet months. Because sales are uneven through the year while rent and wages stay much the same, a small change in sales can move profit far more.
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