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.
Read more: 70-year-old sporting goods chain quietly closing stores
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.
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.
Here’s some of my previous coverage of sportswear store closures:
- 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.
Related: Sportswear giant closes 113 stores as shares plunge
