Dick’s Sporting Goods on the need for physical stores and how the chain is approaching the metaverse

During the early days of the pandemic, Dick’s Sporting Goods saw online sales soar as it invested in new e-commerce capabilities around curbside pickup and inventory management. Now, while the chain is running marketing aimed to continue its online sales momentum, it’s also focusing on brick-and-mortar with new concept stores.

“Our stores continue to be a hub for us, but online has grown and it’s a very important business,” said Ed Plummer, chief marketing officer at Dick’s, speaking on a recent episode of the Marketer’s Brief podcast.

He discusses the strategy behind the retailer’s recent spring marketing campaign focused on e-commerce. That push stars Charles Barkley, who previously worked with Dick’s on golf and Father’s Day campaigns last year.

Dick’s is also doubling down on marketing channels that have proven successful—such as TikTok—and researching those that could be lucrative—such as the metaverse. Plummer said TikTok has been a great way to reach teen shoppers with new style campaigns, and that there could be synergies between the brand and virtual reality as well.

“This week, I have spent several hours with agencies talking about the metaverse,” he said. “It’s big, it’s fragmented, there’s a lot to get into and we want to be thoughtful about how we enter it.” He noted that Dick’s will have a “more robust strategy” about its metaverse plans soon.

Plummer also talks about how the retailer is focusing on women’s sports, including its recent partnership with the Women’s National Basketball Association. The organization last year named Dick’s its retail partner.