As one of the nation’s fastest growing retailers, Hibbett Sports is the go-to store for many amateur athletes, but did you know the company is headquartered right here in Alabama?
Founded in 1945 as a boats and marine equipment retailer named Dixie Supply Company, Hibbett Sports has since grown to more than 1000 stores in 32 states, now selling everything from cleats to sunglasses to your favorite professional player’s jerseys.
Today, Hibbett is headquartered in downtown Birmingham, and employs more than 400 Alabamians in its Central Alabama area distribution centers alone, with even more in storefronts across the state.
Just a few years ago, however, the company had an opportunity to move a large portion of its operations out of the state, but declined.
“We decided to stay in the state of Alabama and grow just because you get good people, sound solid business people” Hibbett Sports CEO Jeffry Rosenthal told Yellowhammer. “It’s the people, there’s a great work ethic here.”
Highlighting the strength of their employees is a theme across everything Hibbett does. In a time where more and more people are making purchases online, putting pressure on storefronts to innovate or get left behind, Hibbett has found a way to continue growing by offering superior customer service.
“One of our big three-year strategic initiatives is being a more 24/7 service organization,” said Rosenthal. “Today we do a good job with service in the stores but we do face the problem of ‘if we don’t have your size, how do I get it to you?’ and currently we don’t have a good way of doing that. That’s what we’re spending a lot of our time on; trying to get that up and ready”
Being the center of the college football universe doesn’t hurt either, according to Rosenthal.
“We are in the sports business,” he said, “and Alabama, with the college football alone, plays right up with what we do.”
Instead of focusing on larger markets, Hibbett has found balance by establishing storefronts in midsize and smaller communities. These locations offer lower operating costs, and the distinct advantage of Hibbett being one of the only sports retailers in the area.
This strategy is shown particularly well in the types of real estate where the company chooses to locate its store fronts. Around 75 percent of their locations are in strip malls—much more common in small and medium-sized communities—and 25 percent are in enclosed shopping malls.
Rosenthal said that being a member of the Business Council of Alabama (BCA) has helped them stay informed and navigate the political process so they can concentrate on growing the company.
“BCA helps us understand legislation that’s going on in Montgomery and [Washington] DC and how businesses are changing.”
For Rosenthal, who became CEO of Hibbett Sports in 2010, Alabama provides the perfect place for a company like his to thrive.
“There’s no reason we can’t be nationwide and be based out of Alabama.”
Yellowhammer’s Alabama Business Spotlight is a new series highlighting some of the state’s most successful businesses working to perfect their craft and share it with the rest of the nation.
