Academy sports and outdoors has been sold

[captainsling]

folks act like they are entitled to something.

if they do in fact do things that negatively impact their business model then you take your business elsewhere. it is not in the best interest of KKR to do that. This is free market and this is not a bad thing. I'm sure the family is at a place where they want to cash out and enjoy the fruits of their labor.

acting like something was done to you personally . . . . . .

Well said Sean!

[TKRanch]

From a purely business point Academy is an unbelieveable company that markets itself well and has a large customer base. No company of any kind can be all things to all people no matter what. Academy has developed its niche and grown it and cultivated it to a level that no other sporting goods company in the country has done and still remained profitable and boy, Academy is profitable!! They deserve a lot for what they have accomplished over the years and from where they have come. Do they do it all perfect, no, but they do it very well for the "masses" and that is what makes them so successful. They are a high volume, low cost, selling machine and that applies to all categories of goods they deal in.

They have those "off brands" like Magellan or Game Winner, but what is interesting is that in almost all cases when they have introduced those types of brands/businesses they have not hurt the other brands in the long term. The "Brands" continue to sell and prosper, but they have found new customers that were not willing to pay the higher price and they have been very successful doing this for many, many years.

As for employees, they have not always managed them as well as they could have, but that is one of the hardest point of any business, no matter what it is, is having capable, trustworthy, hardworking employees and keeping them for the long term.

[krausejmk]

I'm not impressed with alot of their "Game Winner" stuff. Some of it is OK, but you gotta be careful, alot of it is very cheaply made. I'm sure their profit margins are higher now that they've gotten big enough to have in-house brands, but there's a reason "Magellan" fishing shirts are less expensive than "Columbia" and it's not just paying more for the label.

I love my magellan shirts.

[camo_cowboy55]

Maybe nothing is changing for now, but I'm sure it will be. Firms like KKR don't buy companies just because they want to be in the sporting goods retail business. They want maximum return in a short period of time. They may hold on to it for a while, but they want to get their money back out of it, or pay off incurred debt as soon as possible. I agree with the previous poster that they will probably cut overhead and maybe inch up prices a little at a time.

your right, its supposly in agreement that nothing is going to change but in time it probably will. the soul puropose of this was to bring more money in and build more stores throughout the nation.

[Mister Bubba's bulletman]

I hope the people that bought it owned Gibsons at one time. loved that store. Academy could take over the old Gibsons building in Lawton, OK, Then I wouldn't have to drive 60 miles to one.

"Gibsons Gibsons we love to shop at Gibsons, Gibsons your discount center!"

I rode my first horse at Gibsons. Cost a nickel.

[blacksunshine]

From a purely business point Academy is an unbelieveable company that markets itself well and has a large customer base. No company of any kind can be all things to all people no matter what. Academy has developed its niche and grown it and cultivated it to a level that no other sporting goods company in the country has done and still remained profitable and boy, Academy is profitable!! They deserve a lot for what they have accomplished over the years and from where they have come. Do they do it all perfect, no, but they do it very well for the "masses" and that is what makes them so successful. They are a high volume, low cost, selling machine and that applies to all categories of goods they deal in.

They have those "off brands" like Magellan or Game Winner, but what is interesting is that in almost all cases when they have introduced those types of brands/businesses they have not hurt the other brands in the long term. The "Brands" continue to sell and prosper, but they have found new customers that were not willing to pay the higher price and they have been very successful doing this for many, many years.

As for employees, they have not always managed them as well as they could have, but that is one of the hardest point of any business, no matter what it is, is having capable, trustworthy, hardworking employees and keeping them for the long term.

that is what I was getting at.....their house brands were and have been a well conceived and for the most part, well executed campaign.

FYI, there are quite a large sum of H2O brand hard baits on clearance right now for $1.88...if they are marked $2.88....someone has been slacking...scan them in....

(now I am off to Academy to scrounge a few before the rest of you get there)

[blacksunshine]

[fisher__man]

I worked for academy for almost 9 years and think this is a good thing. When Arthur handed it down to David the company started going Way down hill in my mind. Arthur seemed like someone that was not ALL about the profit knowing he was going to make a good one no matter what. David on the other hand was all about the money and I think the customers and employs both suffered from that. I had fun working there but am glad I got out when I did.

[blacksunshine]

those are allstar spinning rods if anyone was interested.....clearly regularly marked at $49.99 but then a 'special' sticker marking them at $29.99 claiming regularly they were $69.99...on the same rod...lol

[18ncs]

Is KKR going to try to operate it as it is or are they talking about going public? Seems like a way for the family to pull some money off the table and still have a little upside if KKR does a good lob.

[captainsling]

Things are going to stay the way they are currently. Keeping the same CEO and upper management. No IPO in the near future. Too proffitable of a company for an investment group to buy and sell instantly.KKR usually buys and holds for a while to see what kind of return they will get.

[blacksunshine]

Is KKR going to try to operate it as it is or are they talking about going public? Seems like a way for the family to pull some money off the table and still have a little upside if KKR does a good lob.

I have been thinking of this from many different angles....however, the prevailing thoughts are that probably the family wanted to cash out...which might have turned into a piece...it also makes sense that kkr would not make sense to just invest unless there was some stupid profit being made...and that would not make sense that someone would want to get out of that game...so...hmm....now then you have the the family still has a stake in the company and supposedly it's management is staying in place....not sure what that means....

now if you are making money hand over fist, would you be shopping your business?...and in what light would you be interested in keeping a stake if for no other reason than to just get some of it off the table and money in your pocket...???.....is it possible that there were some crazy high notes coming due?

then pair all that with finally moving in a more normalized retail direction with your website and weekly flyer presentation...both of which require significant investment in time, money and resources.....

maybe they think the market is going to tank soon and if you think about it......sporting goods stores are not really a necessity for the masses if the poop hits the fan....outside of guns and ammo....

What is the real skinny?

[Txbhunter1]

Well nothing changing is what was said when we got bought out also and within the first week the letterhead and color scheme changed and has just continued to date with changes.

[blacksunshine]

Well nothing changing is what was said when we got bought out also and within the first week the letterhead and color scheme changed and has just continued to date with changes.

I think that is generic speak many times to keep from having a mass exodus of employees jumping ship, not wanting to deal with the pretty definite cornfusion to follow.....

[Huntindad]

I still like going to the Gibsons in Kerrville. They have everything.