Hibbett Sports, a major U.S. athletic retailer, will close 175 underperforming stores over the next three years as part of a restructuring initiative by its parent company, JD Sports. The closure plan follows JD Sports' acquisition of Hibbett in 2024 for approximately $1.1 billion, aimed at strengthening its position in the North American footwear market. As of May 2024, Hibbett operated 1,169 stores across 36 states. JD Sports CEO Regis Schultz highlighted the company's focus on enhancing store productivity and optimizing its retail estate, indicating a reduction of 39 stores in the previous year. The company aims to leverage best practices to improve profitability and efficiency. Alongside the store closures, JD Sports plans to open about 20 new stores and convert 70 to 80 Finish Line stores to JD locations. Despite these changes, JD Sports' stock has dipped by 1.7% year to date, reflecting broader challenges in the retail sector, including increased layoffs and store closures among competitors like Foot Locker.