Dive Brief:
- Hibbett, the Birmingham, Alabama-based athletics apparel and footwear company, has launched an e-commerce website and mobile app dedicated to selling products for kids, the retailer announced Wednesday. The app is available on Android and iOS devices.
- Hibbett Kids offers apparel and footwear for kids ages 13 and younger from brands like New Balance, Jordan, Nike, Crocs and Adidas, the retailer said.
- The e-commerce platform features installment payment options, a customer service chat feature, access to its rewards program, new product release notifications and personalized content. The retailer will release new products on a daily basis.
Dive Insight:
Just in time for the back-to-school season, Hibbett Kids presents shoppers with an expanded selection of children’s footwear, apparel and accessories.
“We’re expanding our digital footprint to better serve today’s busy families and offering a more convenient, seamless, curated shopping experience from the nursery years through the teen stage,” Bill Quinn, CIO of Hibbett, said in a statement. “We’ve built a thriving and successful kids business and in our next phase with Hibbett Kids, we will continue to engage with parents and caregivers in a more personalized way.”
Customers can filter their searches by new arrivals, gender, size, price, color and brand, among other options.
Hibbett is executing its digital push with a new owner at its helm. U.K.-based JD Sports bought Hibbett last year for $1.1 billion.
Prior to that acquisition, Nike and Hibbett had established a partnership that connected their loyalty programs. In 2023, Nike and Hibbett created a joint rewards membership, allowing shoppers to earn rewards when they buy Nike and Jordan products through the retailer. Nike has a similar deal with JD Sports and Dick’s Sporting Goods, among others.
Meanwhile in the athletics sector, Dick’s Sporting Goods announced in May that it would acquire Foot Locker in a $2.4 billion deal. Foot Locker will act as a stand-alone business and maintain its brands, including Kids Foot Locker.
Foot Locker also recently underwent a digital transformation with a revamp of its app, resulting in an uptick in purchases. The app loads faster, features richer content and helps the retailer’s loyalty members track and use their points, President Frank Bracken said on a call with analysts at the end of last year.