Academy Sports & Outdoors To Open Columbus Store In Early June

COLUMBUS, GA: There are only two-and-a-half weeks remaining until the Columbus community celebrates the opening of the first Academy Sports & Outdoors location in the city. While residents are excited about the opening of the new retail giant, officials with the Katy, Texas based sports and outdoors retailer are just as excited and it shows according to an information released in a recent press release.

Academy Sports and Outdoors is putting the finishing touches on a new 64,000 square foot store location located at 6700 Whittlesey Blvd in north Columbus. The store is located between North Highland Church and the Homewood Suites of Columbus. The location is also just a short distance from the massive Columbus Park Crossing Shopping complex, which features one of the largest retail developments in the Columbus area.

Columbus residents have been hopeful of receiving a new retailer that caters to outdoor living in the area. While names like Bass Pro Shops and Cabela's have been tossed around Academy Sports and Outdoors became the first to open a new location in Columbus. They join nearby Dick's Sporting Good's as being the two largest national outdoor retailers in the Fountain City.

"Academy Sports and Outdoors cannot wait to join the Columbus community and help customers up their game, or start a new one, with the best gear at the best prices," said Sam Johnson Academy Sports & Outdoors executive vice president of retail operations in a release. Johnson nor Academy has announced what brought the retailer to the Fountain City, but a statement in the release may hint the growing outdoor sector of the city and its growing tourism market may have played a role in the store location. "Whether you're gearing up for a day on the Chattahoochee, a run down the Riverwalk, or a family barbeque, Academy Sports and Outdoors has the gear you need at an affordable price," continued Johnson.

The new Columbus store is set to open June 9th. The new store is a welcome site to the community which has been in a two-year slump as several big-box national retailers have shut down or are shutting down operations in the city. Those include Sears, Kmart, Rue 21, HHGregg, and Toys R Us to name a few. As Columbus' unemployment number have also remained above the national and state averages the new Academy Sports and Outdoors store is a welcome sight in the employment community as well. The location will bring 100 new jobs the city. Hiring is still on going for the location and those interested in applying can apply at academy.com/careers.

The new Columbus store will become Academy's 17th store in Georgia. Academy has also not built many stores in Georgia's larger cities as the new Columbus store will be the companies location in the city with the highest population in the Georgia following its opening. Academy does not have a store in Atlanta which has the states largest population, but is active in several suburbs of the Capital City. Augusta city with a population near that of Columbus is also not home to an Academy store, but there is one in suburban Evans, Georgia. The Savannah and Albany area's do not have an Academy Sports and Outdoors yet. However, Macon which is smaller than Columbus does have a location in Macon and one in nearby Warner Robins.