Dick’s Sporting Goods will expand private label around women’s sports
Dick’s Sporting Goods will be expanding its private brand assortment to include products for women in basketball, soccer, softball, dance and more. The Coraopolis, Pa.-based retailer's efforts come ahead of the Dick’s Sporting Goods Foundation's 2020 Here for Her Summit, an event held Tuesday in New York focused championing women in sports and fitness,
The gear tailored toward specific sports would be an addition to what Dick’s Sporting Goods currently offers in the private label space which is more focused on athletic and workout apparel. In August 2019, the company debuted DSG, an apparel line that spans products for women, men and children. Items like leggings, tanks and bras target women; performance shirts and sweatshirts target men; backpacks, graphic tees and some youth sports gear like soccer balls and cleats target youth.
Dick’s also carries an exclusive athletic wear brand in Calia, a partnership with celebrity Carrie Underwood, and a compression gear brand called Second Skin.
No timetable was mentioned, or much detail on the type of products expected to come from Dick’s, but it is important to know the company is planning to offer more private brand options for women, as well as an expanded assortment of merchandise for women from its national partners.
Also announced as part of the company’s “2020 Women’s Initiative” outlined during the summit was Dick’s pledge of a three-year, $5 million grant to the U.S. Soccer Foundation’s United for Girls program that will help fund coaching, training, create safe spaces to play and support underserved communities across the U.S. in engaging girls to play soccer. In fact, the initiative has a goal to engage 100,000 girls by 2023.
Dick’s also said it would become the official sporting goods sponsor of USA Softball, inking a multi-year partnership to be the official merchandise vendor for the training and exhibition tour for the 2020 U.S. Women’s National Team.
The Here for Her Summit event itself included notable women in sports such as soccer player Sydney Leroux, softball player Jennie Finch, and Olympic Gold medalist in track Benita Fitzgerald Mosley talking with Sarah Pickens of the U.S. Soccer Foundation and female celebrities about the importance of fitness and sports and how it’s impacted their lives.
"At Dick's we believe at our core that sports matter. There are so many incredible benefits to playing sports, from building character, to learning how to win and lose, to increasing self-confidence," said Lauren Hobart, president of Dick’s Sporting Goods and the Dick’s Foundation. "It was very special to have so many empowering women at our 'Here for Her' Summit this morning. Today is a proud moment for our company and the foundation as we announced expanded offerings in-store and increase our support for young girls to play sports."