The new Academy Retail Media platform ties onsite, in-app and offsite advertising to online and in-store sales as the retailer expands its store base and e-commerce reach.
Academy Sports + Outdoors has launched Academy Retail Media, or ARM, as part of its broader omnichannel growth strategy, giving advertisers access to purchase-based audience intelligence and measurement tied to both online and in-store sales. The company said the network draws on its physical and digital footprint, longstanding brand partnerships and customer data to help brands target verified shoppers across onsite, in-app and offsite channels. Academy said it now has more than 320 stores across 21 states and a growing base of 52 million verified customers. It framed ARM as a way for brand partners to use that reach for omnichannel activation and closed-loop measurement (ad attribution linked to purchases), including same-SKU sales, broader brand halo and incremental lift. The retailer said advertisers can optimize campaigns for outcomes such as return on advertising spend, customer acquisition, new product launches, reactivation and sales growth. Chad Fox, Executive Vice President and Chief Customer Officer, called the launch "a natural extension" of Academy's efforts to grow its business and deepen ties with customers and brand partners. Academy said the network is also intended to improve product discovery, brand experiences and offers for shoppers. It highlighted an audience segment it calls Always Game Families, described as active households with children in sports that buy across eight or more categories and spend about twice as much annually as the average sporting goods and outdoor consumer. Several leading national brands are already running ARM campaigns across awareness, consideration and conversion, the company said. The release includes forward-looking statements saying expected benefits, capabilities and opportunities tied to ARM could differ materially from current expectations, with risks described in Academy's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (U.S. markets regulator).