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Sporting goods chain closes more stores nationwide. The sporting goods industry has been shrinking its retail footprint, with major companies, including Nike and Dick's Sporting Goods, closing stores across the U.S. Economic uncertainty, changing consumer habits, growing competition, and ongoing store evaluations have contributed to the closures, leaving some communities without their nearby sporting goods and sportswear retailers. Now, another sporting goods chain has been quietly closing stores across three major states over the past year, with more locations set to disappear in the coming months. Founded in 1995 in El Segundo, California, Big 5 Sporting Goods is a sporting goods retailer with more than 400 locations across 11 Western states. Big 5 Sporting Goods closes stores. Big 5 Sporting Goods is closing two more stores after shuttering several locations earlier in 2026. The company's store at Boise Towne Square, located at 101 N. Milwaukee St. in the Westpark Towne Plaza shopping center in Boise, Idaho, will close. Liquidation sales have already begun, although no exact closing date has been announced yet, BoiseDev reported. Another Big 5 Sporting Goods location at 4330 N Freeway Rd. in Pueblo, Colorado, is scheduled to close in January 2027, Pueblo Independent News reported. The retailer has already shuttered several locations over the past year across Colorado, Idaho, and Arizona. * Lakewood, Colorado: The store at 7111 W. Alameda Ave. closed in March 2026, Denver Post reported. * Denver, Colorado: The store at 1430 S. Colorado Blvd. closed in January 2026, Denver Post reported. * Cañon City, Colorado: The store at 3215 E US Hwy. 50 closed in January 2026, Denver Post reported. * Wheat Ridge, Colorado: The store at 5185 Kipling St. closed in January 2026, 9News reported. * Aurora, Colorado: The store at 10051 E. Iliff Ave. closed in January 2026, Denver Post reported. * Fort Collins, Colorado: The store at 2211 S. College Ave. closed in January 2026, Denver Post reported. * Pocatello, Idaho: The store at 700 W. Quinn Rd. closed in April 2026, East Idaho News reported. * Garden City, Idaho: The store at 6762 N. Glenwood St. closed in December 2025, East Idaho News reported. * Green Valley, Arizona: The store at 714 W Calle Arroyo Sur closed in October 2025, SGB Media reported. * Maricopa, Arizona: The store at 41800 W. Maricopa-Casa Grande Hwy. closed in October 2025, SGB Media reported. Big 5 Sporting Goods closes more stores. Why Big 5 Sporting Goods is closing stores. Big 5 Sporting Goods has been shrinking its store base amid weaker financial performance and broader changes to its business. In October 2025, the retailer completed its merger with a partnership comprising Worldwide Golf and Capitol Hill Group, becoming a wholly owned subsidiary of the partnership. The transaction also resulted in Big 5 Sporting Goods being delisted from Nasdaq. The company had already been reducing its store footprint before the merger. During the fiscal 2025 second quarter, Big 5 Sporting Goods said it expected to close approximately four additional stores and not to open any new stores. The company had 414 stores in operation as of June 29, 2025, according to a SEC filing. The retailer was also dealing with declining sales and profitability. Big 5 Sporting Goods reported a 7.5% year-over-year decrease in net sales during the second quarter, while same-store sales fell 6.1%. Gross profit declined 11.1%, putting additional pressure on the company's gross margin. The retailer also reported a net loss of $24.5 million, or $1.11 per basic share. Together, the financial results and planned store reductions suggest a company focused on a smaller, more profitable, physical footprint rather than expanding its retail presence. Other sporting goods and sportswear retailers are closing stores. Big 5 Sporting Goods is not the only retailer in the broader sporting goods and sportswear industry to reduce its physical footprint over the past year. * Nike: Closed nearly a dozen stores nationwide during July 2026 alone. * Dick's Sporting Goods: Shuttered 113 stores across its portfolio during fiscal 2026 through the second quarter. * Munich: Will close 15 stores internationally as part of a collective redundancy plan. The closures come despite continued growth in the broader sportswear market. The global sportswear market was valued at $399.4 billion in 2025 and is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 10.7% through 2033, according to Grand View Research. North America accounted for the largest regional revenue share at 33.1% in 2025. "Increasing awareness of physical health, mental well-being, and preventive fitness has encouraged consumers across age groups to integrate regular exercise into daily routines," said Grand View Research industry experts. "As a result, demand for sportswear has expanded beyond professional and competitive sports into everyday use." The continued growth of the broader market suggests that rising demand for sportswear and sporting goods does not necessarily mean retailers will maintain every physical location. Companies continue to reassess their store networks as they seek locations that support their evolving business strategies.

H-E-B, Layne's plans new locations off I-35 in this Central Texas city. Another H-E-B will be taking shape within the I-35 corridor. By Cristela Jones, Austin Trending Reporter Oct 4, 2026 It's no secret that the I-35 corridor is booming with new businesses between San Antonio and Austin. From Buc-ee's opening its newest location in San Marcos earlier this year to Dick's Sporting Goods planning a $16.4 million store in Kyle, the growth in Central Texas is far from over. Buda will soon be home to another multimillion dollar H-E-B off I-35. In addition, the small town located just south of Austin will be getting a few new restaurants, stores and even an upgraded sports complex over the next few years. Article continues below this ad Here are some of the biggest businesses coming to Buda: H-E-B. The San Antonio-based grocer recently set plans for a nearly $61.2 million store in Buda. H-E-B is aiming to transform a long-vacant former landfill into a new retail destination anchored by the store slated for 15300 S. I-35, Buda, TX 78610. Article continues below this ad Layne's Chicken Fingers. In September, Layne's Chicken Fingers set plans for a new $400,000 restaurant in Buda. The new Layne's will be located at 381 Old San Antonio Road, Buda, TX 78610, in a former Zaxby's chicken chain space. Calacas Tacos & beer. South Texas-based restaurant chain, Calacas Tacos & Bar, set plans for its first Central Texas location in Buda, according to a Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation filing. Calacas is in the process of building a $300,000 restaurant at 240 Old San Antonio Road, Suite 106, Buda, TX 78610. The Valley-born chain currently operates locations in Brownsville, San Benito, Pharr and South Padre Island. Article continues below this ad Buda Sportsplex. The City of Buda broke ground on its nearly $15 million Sportsplex last year, but recently completed the first phase of construction in September, according to a TDLR. This project will be a massive 2,860,149-square-foot expansion that aims to provide new athletic fields and amenities for players, spectators and general park patrons within the framework of the existing Buda Championship Park. Oct 4, 2026 Austin Trending Reporter Cristela Jones is an Austin-based reporter covering all things retail, commercial, real estate and shopping in the state's capital city. A proud Longhorn, Cristela holds an M.A. in journalism from the University of Texas at Austin and a B.S. in electronic media from Texas State University. Her work has appeared in Bloomberg News, NPR's Next Generation Radio, KUT y más. Cristela was born in San Antonio, Texas, is a member of the Bey Hive and loves to binge Grey's Anatomy in her spare time.

Contagious identifies 15 U.S. Brands as global creative standouts. 8 hours ago Contagious has released its "Contagious Brands Report 2026," naming 45 brands from around the world that it says are challenging category conventions and finding new ways to connect with consumers. The report includes 15 U.S. brands across areas including retail, consumer products, technology, social media, entertainment and artificial intelligence. The report examines brands through nine categories and focuses on business challenges and opportunities including media fragmentation, artificial intelligence, the creator economy and the development of immersive brand worlds. "What unites many of these diverse brands is that they have found success by moving away from simply manufacturing products or providing services, Sunil Bajaj, Lead Brand Analyst at Contagious, says in a news release. "Instead, they're creating experiences that surprise and delight. And rather than focusing on serving individual customers, they've considered how they can better benefit communities and bring people together. Because, in 2026, you can't just be a Contagious brand by selling stuff alone, you have to make people want to spend time with you." Dick's Sporting Goods was included in the report's "Destination Designers" category for its efforts to turn retail stores into athletic-oriented spaces. The report said the U.S. sporting goods retailer has redefined its physical locations as "athletic playgrounds" as retailers increasingly seek to make stores destinations rather than simply places to make purchases. Scrub Daddy, Fishwife and Dr Squatch were named in the "Everyday Magic Makers" category. Contagious said Scrub Daddy uses the design of its smiley-faced cleaning sponges to generate engaging content, while Fishwife uses packaging to make canned seafood a prominent subject on Instagram and TikTok. Dr Squatch was cited for disrupting the men's grooming category without relying on what Contagious described as "alpha-male posturing." SharkNinja and Starface were recognized as "Product Innovators." The report said SharkNinja launches about 25 lifestyle products annually, combining premium technology with lower prices, while Starface has turned acne treatment into a form of personal expression designed for social media. Starbucks was included among the report's "Creator Makers" for its Green Apron Creators program, which turns baristas into brand influencers. The program reflects a broader shift identified by Contagious toward using employees, customers and other consumers as creators of brand content. BuzzBallz and Poppi were among the brands highlighted as "Gen Z Magnets." Contagious said BuzzBallz's colorful spherical packaging has helped make the ready-to-drink cocktails the best-selling premixed cocktails in the U.S., while Poppi has used bright packaging and its positioning around prebiotic soda and gut health to appeal to younger consumers. The "Worldbuilders" category included Vacation and Fanatics. Contagious said Vacation has built a retro-styled sunscreen brand around encouraging consumers to enjoy the sun, while Fanatics has developed into a broader sports ecosystem serving 140 million customers globally. Runway was the lone U.S. brand highlighted in the report's "AI Pioneers" category. Contagious described the company as a $5.3 billion platform that is changing AI video creation by giving users greater directorial control over the production process. Substack was named among the report's "Community Builders." Contagious highlighted the U.S. publishing platform for its approach to connecting writers and audiences and providing an alternative to conventional social-media consumption. The report's U.S. selections reflect a range of business models, from physical retail and consumer packaged goods to sports, publishing and artificial intelligence.