Walk into any Dick’s Sporting Goods on a Saturday morning and you’ll see the chaos firsthand. Coaches grabbing buckets of baseballs, parents debating the merits of $200 cleats, and runners testing out the latest Hokas. For years, the assumption was that this was a "guy's store." It makes sense on the surface. But when you look at the actual data for 2024 and 2025, the reality of what percentage of dicks sporting goods buyers are men is a bit more nuanced than a simple "most of them."
The breakdown is tighter than you’d think.
Roughly 55% of the customers at Dick’s Sporting Goods are men. That leaves a massive 45% who are women. If you're surprised by that, you haven't been paying attention to how the company has fundamentally shifted its floor space lately. This isn't just a shop for "the fellas" anymore. It's a massive, multi-billion dollar machine that has realized women are actually the ones driving a huge portion of the household spending on sports and fitness.
Why the Male-Female Split is Changing
The retail giant has been very public about its shift. They’re basically courting the female consumer with the same intensity they used to reserve for hunting gear (which, by the way, they’ve largely moved away from in many stores).
Honestly, the "55% male" stat is a bit of a moving target. While more men might walk through the door for "hardlines"—stuff like golf clubs, kayaks, or weight benches—the apparel and footwear sections are becoming increasingly female-dominated. In 2024, the company’s internal data showed that women were reacting incredibly well to their private labels.
Ever heard of CALIA? It’s their second-largest women's apparel brand, sitting right behind Nike. They didn't build that for men.
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The "ScoreCard" Factor
Dick’s has this loyalty program called ScoreCard. It has over 25 million active members. These are the "power users" who account for roughly 75% of the total sales. When you dig into the ScoreCard data, you see that the gap between men and women is shrinking.
- Total Active Members: 25 Million+
- Gold Status Members: 7 Million (These are the big spenders)
- Customer Loyalty Score: Men actually rate their loyalty 1% higher than women, but women rate the "experience" (NPS) significantly higher.
Basically, men might be slightly more "loyal" to the brand in terms of repeat visits for specific gear, but women are the ones enjoying the shopping experience more. This is a huge win for Dick's because happy shoppers spend more money over time.
Beyond the Numbers: Who Really Shops Here?
If we just say "55% are men," we miss the actual story. The largest chunk of visitors—about 45%—fall into the 25 to 40 age bracket. This is the "active parent" demographic.
Think about it. Who is buying the soccer shin guards for the 8-year-old? Who is picking up the volleyball kneepads? It’s often a 50/50 split between moms and dads.
Youth Sports as a Hook
The GameChanger app is a secret weapon here. It’s a youth sports platform owned by Dick’s that has over 6.5 million users as of early 2025. It tracks scores and streams games for kids' teams. By owning the "digital field," Dick’s gets its brand in front of parents of all genders every single weekend.
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Then there’s the footwear deck. Footwear is a massive category for them. About 90% of their stores now have these "premium footwear decks." While men might be buying more basketball shoes or football cleats, the explosion of "athleisure" and lifestyle sneakers has made the footwear section a major draw for women.
The Competitive Shift
Why does the gender split matter? Because the competition is fierce.
Stores like Academy Sports + Outdoors or even big-box retailers like Target are fighting for the same dollars. Dick’s realized that to hit their 2025 revenue goals—which are eyeing the $14 billion mark—they couldn't just rely on the "guy who needs a new driver." They needed the "woman who needs a high-performance yoga outfit and a pair of $160 running shoes."
They’ve also been leaning into "experiential retail." Have you seen those "House of Sport" locations? They have climbing walls and batting cages. These locations are designed to be family destinations. By making the store a "place to go" rather than just a place to buy things, they've managed to diversify who shows up.
What This Means for the Future
The company is currently integrating its acquisition of Foot Locker (a massive move in the retail space). This is going to shift the demographics even further. Foot Locker historically has a very strong male following in the sneakerhead community, but it also has huge awareness among women and teens.
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Basically, the 55/45 split is the most balanced it has ever been in the company’s history.
What most people get wrong is thinking that sporting goods is still a "man's world." The reality is that women's apparel and footwear are the fastest-growing categories. If you're a male shopper, you're still the majority, but you're definitely sharing the aisles with a more diverse crowd than you were ten years ago.
Key Takeaways for Shoppers and Investors
- Look at the Private Labels: Brands like DSG and VRST (for men) and CALIA (for women) are where the profit is.
- The Digital Connection: If you use GameChanger, you're part of their most valuable customer pool.
- Experiential is King: Expect more House of Sport locations. They’re aiming for 75 to 100 of these by 2027 because they attract everyone, not just one gender.
The "typical" buyer isn't just a guy looking for a fishing lure anymore. It’s a 32-year-old parent, a 19-year-old athlete, or a 50-year-old hiker. The gender gap is closing, and that’s exactly what the business needs to keep growing in a tough retail market.
To get the most out of your next trip to Dick's, make sure you're signed up for the ScoreCard program. It's the only way to get the "Gold" benefits that the top 7 million shoppers use to save on high-ticket items like treadmills or premium golf sets. If you're tracking your kid's games on GameChanger, keep an eye out for coupons delivered directly through the app—they're often tailored to the specific sport your family is playing that season.