Dicks Sporting Goods has applied for a building permit to convert a former Dicks store in Cranberry Township, PA to a store operating under the Field & Stream banner, according to a report on triblive.com, the online news outlet for several Philadelphia area newspapers.


Dicks moved the Dicks Sporting Goods that had operated at the location to a larger space in down the street in October. Cranberry is located approximately 40 minutes north of Dicks Sporting Goods new corporate headquarters in Findlay, PA, which is located northwest of Pittsburgh.


Dicks has sold hunting and fishing apparel and gear exclusively under the Field & Stream label for years, but agreed last fall to acquire all the intellectual property rights to the Field & Stream trademarks in the hunting, fishing, camping and paddle categories from Field & Stream Licenses.


While efforts to reach Dicks for comment were unsuccessful, the permit application in Cranberry Township appears to be part of an experiment to see whether the nations largest sporting goods retailer can grow sales to core enthusiasts through smaller, more specialized shops. Last year, for instance, Dicks opened a specialty running store under the True Runner banner in the Shadyside section of Pittsburgh, approximately 30 minutes east of Dicks headquarters. Dicks opened a second, 4,500-square-foot True Runner in St. Louis in October. The company also owns Golf Galaxy, a chain of specialty golf stores.


Such ventures marks a departure from Dicks store-within-a-store concept, which concentrates products for outdoor sportsmen in a part of the store called the Lodge. That strategy has helped Dicks become one of the nations top team sports, golf and firearms dealers. But by placing golf, footwear, fitness, hunting and fishing and teams sports in a single store, the concept may be alienating some core enthusiasts, according to a discussion on the Huntingpa.com message board last week. In a stream dedicated to news of the Field & Stream store, several members indicated an affinity for the Field & Stream brand, but complained that their local Dicks Sporting Goods rarely carried the item they needed.


I just hope it isnt a clothing and shoe store, read a post by Long Beard 101. Hopefully they will have some stuff that a hunter and fisherman can actually use! Unlike Dick’s and Dunhams, overpriced, yuppie, golf store.