The retailers who were strong enough to survive the Covid pandemic, seem to be coming back stronger than ever. Katy-based Academy Sports + Outdoors (“Academy”), a full-line sporting goods and outdoor recreation retailer plans to continue its expansion efforts with the goal of opening 13 – 15 stores this year, and a total of 120 to 140 new stores by the end of 2027. The move is expected to create 10,000 jobs.

The company currently has 107 stores in Texas. Houston alone has 11.  Originally founded in 1938 as a family business in Texas, Academy has grown to 269 stores across 18 states. 

The stores average about 70,000 square feet. Academy’s product assortment focuses on key categories of outdoor, apparel, sports & recreation and footwear through both leading national brands and a portfolio of private label brands. The average store does about $25 million in sales.