Champs Sports
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Champs Sports at the Westfield San Francisco Centre
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| Subsidiary | |
| Industry | Retail |
| Founded | 1984 |
| Headquarters | West Bradenton, Florida, United States |
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Number of locations
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547 stores (January 2015) |
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Area served
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Key people
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Bryon Milburn (CEO) |
| Products | Sports apparel, equipment, footwear, and accessories |
| Parent | Foot Locker |
| Website | champssports |
Champs Sports is an American sports retail store, it operates as a subsidiary of Foot Locker. Products sold at Champs Sports include apparel, equipment, footwear, and accessories. As of January 2015, there were 547 store locations found throughout the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The stores are mainly located in shopping malls, and are 3,500 square feet (330 m2) on average.
Champs Sports was acquired in the 1980s by the Woolworth Corporation, then a specialty store division of the F. W. Woolworth Company. It, along with Foot Locker, sold athletic merchandise, replacing the five and dime and department store concepts with the increasing specialty store concept.
In 1997, the Woolworth Corporation acquired the mail-order catalogue athletic retailer Eastbay for approximately 146 million dollars.
A few months later, on July 17, 1997, the F. W. Woolworth Company closed their remaining department stores. The surviving Woolworth Corporation changed its name to Venator Group, Inc., while continuing its focus on the specialty store idea.
In 2000, after a decline in the market of sports apparel, Venator Group shuttered many of their stores, including 27 Champs Sports locations. This proved successful as high-end footwear grew in popularity.
With the first issue released on August 28, 2012, Swag Magazine is a quarterly online magazine focused on showing sports fans a different side of athletes and celebrities. Champs Sports partnered with many companies, including Under Armour, Adidas, and Nike, giving fans an interesting look on sports. The magazine features athlete interviews, athletic gear, and interactive videos.
On September 8, 2012, Champs Sports and Nike launched Nike Yardline, a store specializing in NFL apparel. The first store opened in the Willowbrook Mall in Wayne, New Jersey. Champs Sports and Nike stated that they are looking to expand the concept in the future.
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Wikipedia