Galyan's is now Dick's Sporting Goods

[eomaha]

Galyan's becomes Dick's

It's official.

Galyan's Sports and Outdoor Adventure Store at Westroads Shopping Center is now Dick's Sporting Goods.

The name change completes the merger of the two sporting good retailers that began in June when Dick's, based in Pittsburgh, acquired Planfield, Ind.-based Galyan's. Both Omaha stores will remain open because of the strong market, said Jeff Hennion, senior vice president of strategic planning for Dick's.

"It was pretty straightforward," Hennion said of the decision. "In our view, Omaha is a great market. The support was there."

A temporary green-and-white Dick's banner adorned the exterior of the two-story building in the northeast corner of the mall Monday. The company said a permanent sign would be erected Wednesday or Friday.

In other cities where the two competed, store closings were planned due to either overlap or financial performance. So far, Dick's has announced that four stores will close: a Dick's in Cleveland and three Galyan's - two stores and an outlet center - in Indianapolis. Hennion said more store closings - but not many more -will be announced later.

At the end of the year, Dick's will operate 239 stores in 33 states.

The conversion of the Galyan's stores should be completed in about six months, Hennion said from Pittsburgh.

"All of the policies, the look and feel of the (Galyan's) stores would eventually change."

However, the interactive elements in both stores would stay the same. And the nearly four-story rock-climbing wall at the Westroads location will remain intact.

Among the changes to occur, according to Hennion:

• Galyan's merchandise assortment will shift from an emphasis on fashion apparel to a greater focus on sports equipment and related apparel.

• Galyan's loyalty card will become the same as Dick's program - offering a $10 rewards certificate for every 300 points earned in the store.

• Galyan's gift cards, which never expire, will be continue to be accepted at the store.

"Our main concern is that people don't feel because of the name change they will not be able to use their gift cards," he said.

Galyan's opened at Westroads in August 2003, joining Younkers, J.C. Penney and Von Maur as the fourth anchor of the mall.

The Westroads store was the first Nebraska store for the sporting goods retailer, which was founded in 1946 as a 24-hour supermarket.

At the time of opening last year, the 84,000-square-foot Galyan's store carried approximately 90,000 items and employed about 115 full- and part-time workers.

In October 2002, Dick's opened its first Nebraska location in a 45,000-square-foot store near Oak View Mall.

The store was founded in 1948 as a modest bait-and-tackle shop in Binghamton, N.Y. By 1958, the store's product line expanded to include much of the merchandise that is found today. The retailer offers a "store within a store": separate displays of golf, hunting, fishing, biking and other merchandise.

[omahaopinions.com]

I'm glad they're keeping the rock climbing wall!

[omahaopinions.com]

They have to in order to compete with scheeles.

Agreed!