Dick’s Sporting Goods Buying Moosejaw from Walmart

Dick’s Sporting Goods (Pittsburgh) has agreed to acquire outdoor retailer Moosejaw from Bentonville, Ark.-based Walmart. The deal will expand Dick’s outdoor portfolio – currently led by its specialty retailer, Public Lands – and reaffirm its commitment to the long-term business opportunity in the growing multibillion-dollar outdoor category, the company said in a news release.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed; it is expected to close next month.

In the release on the buy, Dick’s notes that Moosejaw, founded in Michigan in 1992, “operates a highly successful e-commerce platform, has a loyal customer base, strong vendor relationships with leading outdoor brands and a passionate workforce.” Moosejaw operates a total of 13 brick-and-mortar locations in Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Kansas, Michigan and Missouri.

“We admire what Moosejaw has accomplished over the past 30 years as leaders in the outdoor industry and look forward to the opportunity to share insights and learn from one another,” said Todd Spaletto, President, Public Lands and Senior VP, Dick’s Sporting Goods, which was named the VMSD/Peter Glen Retailer of the Year last fall. “We believe there’s potential to grow the Moosejaw business and provide compelling experiences and an expanded product assortment to its millions of loyal customers.”

Dick’s launched Public Lands in 2021 and the brand has since grown to seven retail locations. Once the Moosejaw acquisition closes, its CEO, Eoin Comerford, will report to Spaletto.

In its coverage of the deal, Business Insider said Walmart bought Moosejaw in 2017 for about $51 million and that selling it off follows “a pattern of large retailers struggling to integrate smaller companies.”