DICK'S Sporting Goods announced a definitive merger agreement to acquire Foot Locker, establishing a global sports retail platform with expanded market reach. The acquisition is aimed at harnessing complementary operational strengths, but it also raises concerns regarding corporate consolidation and the potential for increased economic influence.

On May 15, 2025, Dick’s Sporting Goods announced its $2.4 billion acquisition of Foot Locker. The deal is intended to expand Dick’s global presence even as it navigates challenges posed by tariffs from President Trump’s administration. While the transaction signals significant market consolidation, there is no evidence that the move supports or aligns with authoritarian or fascist policies.

Dick's Sporting Goods announced its acquisition of the struggling footwear chain Foot Locker for $2.4 billion. The deal, unveiled on 2025-05-15, aims to expand Dick’s global footprint and enhance its bargaining power with national brands amid challenging market conditions influenced by tariffs imposed under President Donald Trump’s trade policies.

Dick's Sporting Goods announced the acquisition of Foot Locker for $2.4 billion on May 15, 2025. The deal aims to expand Dick's global footprint and increase bargaining power with major brands amid economic uncertainties driven by President Donald Trump’s tariffs. This move raises concerns about further market consolidation and potential impacts on competition and worker autonomy.

The OpenSecrets profile details Dick's Sporting Goods’ federal lobbying expenditures for early 2025, based on data from the Senate Office of Public Records. The profile highlights the company's active political engagement through lobbying, a practice that may enable undue corporate influence over public policy.

Dick's Sporting Goods emphasizes its commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion by actively seeking to hire a workforce that reflects the communities it serves. This initiative aims to enhance innovation, growth, and retention through a diverse set of skills and experiences.

Dick's Sporting Goods has launched the B.E.E. initiative to support teammates with disabilities. The program aims to create a belonging network and erase stigma associated with disability, highlighting the company's commitment to inclusive practices and worker support.

The 2023 lobbying report reveals that while DICK'S Sporting Goods did not engage in federal lobbying, it did make payments for state-level lobbying activities in Pennsylvania and paid dues to industry groups with lobbying expenditures. These political contributions, although focused at the state level, reflect an effort to influence policy in ways that prioritize corporate interests over broader public accountability.

The AFL has filed a civil rights complaint with the EEOC against Dick's Sporting Goods, alleging that the company employs illegal quotas in hiring, promoting, and recruiting based on race, color, national origin, or sex, and that it offers selective benefits that disadvantage mothers.

Over 7,500 current and former employees have filed a class-action lawsuit alleging that Dick's Sporting Goods forced employees to work overtime and off-the-clock without pay, and unlawfully deducted wages, violating the Fair Labor Standards Act.

Following the Parkland school shooting, Dick's Sporting Goods announced that it would no longer sell assault style rifles, high capacity magazines, or firearms to anyone under 21 at its regular retail locations—continuing a policy shift initiated after Sandy Hook. This move, which was widely praised on social media and boosted market sentiment, marks a definitive stand in favor of gun control and retail activism.