Sustainability Isn’t a Side Initiative. It’s the Standard.

By Lauren Hobart, President & CEO, DICK’S Sporting Goods

Let’s be honest: sustainability in retail has too often been treated like a seasonal campaign or something brands talk about when it’s convenient, not something they build into the core of how they operate. That approach no longer works. Not for consumers. Not for communities. And certainly not for the future of our business. At DICK’S Sporting Goods, we believe sport has the power to change lives, but that responsibility doesn’t stop at the field. It extends to how we source, operate, and show up in the world. Sustainability is not a marketing lever. It’s a business imperative.

The data makes that clear. Today’s consumers, particularly younger generations, are holding companies to higher standards. They want transparency. They want accountability. And they are making purchasing decisions based on those values. If we fail to meet those expectations, we are not just missing an opportunity, we are falling behind. But sustainability isn’t just about meeting demand. It’s about building a smarter, more resilient business.

Our scale gives us both responsibility and opportunity. As a company operating in a $300 billion global sports retail market , we have the ability to influence how products are made, how they are distributed, and how long they last in the hands of athletes. That means investing in more responsible sourcing, reducing waste across our supply chain, and rethinking how we design and deliver product experiences. We’ve already seen what happens when you embed purpose into your business model. Through our foundation and community initiatives, we’ve contributed over $200 million in grants and sponsorships supporting youth athletes . That same mindset must now extend across sustainability. We must ensure hat access to sport doesn’t come at the expense of the environment those athletes depend on.

The next phase of retail will not be defined by who sells the most products. It will be defined by who creates the most responsible systems.That means designing stores that operate more efficiently. It means leveraging our omni-channel network—where over 90% of sales are enabled by stores —to reduce unnecessary shipping and improve fulfillment. And it means continuing to invest in innovation that aligns performance with responsibility. Sustainability is not a trade-off. It is a competitive advantage. The companies that win in this next era will be the ones that understand this: doing better for the environment is not separate from doing better for business. It is the business.

And at DICK’S, we’re not waiting for the industry to catch up. We’re helping define where it goes next.