Industry retailers plan to grow their aggregate square footage by 2.6% in 2026, nearly double last year’s pace, led by the ambitious opening cadence of Dick’s and Academy Sports’ big-box stores. Last year’s projections were similarly optimistic in aggregate, but the total square footage growth was just 1.4% when all was said and done, well below the 2.4% plan. The retailers on our list aim to open 288 stores and close 207 for 81 net openings, which will drive total square footage to 176.1 million. Last year’s re-bannering trend will play ... Log in to view full article.