Modell's Sporting Goods
 | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Retail |
| Founded | 1889 |
| Founder | Morris Modell |
| Headquarters | New York, New York |
Key people | Mitchell Modell, CEO Charles Castaneda, CMO Eric Spiel, CFO |
| Products | Sports apparel, Sporting goods, Footwear, Licensed goods. |
| Revenue | US$ 698 million (2012) [1] |
Modell's (full name Modell's Sporting Goods.) is a sporting goods retailer with locations in the Northeastern United States. Modell's carries both sporting goods and related apparel. Modell's currently has more than 140 retail locations in ten states and the District of Columbia as of 2008.[2] The company reported revenue of approximately $635 million in 2007 and $698 million in 2012 [2]
History
The chain was founded as a single store by Morris A. Modell in 1889 in Manhattan, making it possibly the third oldest sporting goods store in North America (after James F. Brine's in Massachusetts and Milwaukee's Burghardt Sporting Goods).[3] Modell, a Jewish immigrant from Hungary, opened the first location on Cortlandt Street in Lower Manhattan.[2] (The Modell pawn shop chain in Manhattan and Brooklyn was founded by Morris's brother George in 1893 as a spinoff. The two companies operate separately.)
Through the years, it has remained a family owned business, passing through four generations of the Modell family. While best known as a sporting goods retailer, Modell's also operated a chain of "full-line" discount retailers in the New York-metro area known as "Modell's Shopper's World" (and for a short time as "White-Modells") from the mid-1950s up until 1989, when the company decided to focus on its sporting goods operations partly due to increased competition in the discount retail market.
Today, Modell's operates 152 stores[2] mainly in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. In recent years, the chain has begun to expand to Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, the District of Columbia as well as Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire. Their flagship store is at 234 West 42nd Street near Times Square.
Mitchell Modell, CEO, was featured on an episode of Undercover Boss, which aired November 2, 2012. In 2014 a lawsuit was started by Modell rival Dick's Sporting Goods accusing the Modell CEO of going undercover into their stores to gain access to their retail secrets.[4][5]
Mission
Modell's approach as "Your Hometown Sporting Goods Store" through local specialized offerings, community relationships, and programs such as Team Weeks, which assists local schools, leagues, and non-profit organizations has made it a very successful company through the years. Modell's #1 mission statement is "Listen, Respect, and Respond" to the needs of their customers, associates, and vendors. Modell's sponsors many professional sports teams in their east coast market area, including the Boston Bruins, Boston Celtics, Brooklyn Nets, New York Mets, New York Yankees, New York Giants, New York Jets, New York Knicks, New York Rangers, New York Islanders, New Jersey Devils, Philadelphia Phillies, Philadelphia Eagles, Philadelphia 76ers, Philadelphia Flyers, Washington Capitals, Washington Nationals, as well as numerous minor league baseball teams.
References
- ^ 2008, Hoover's, Inc. "Henry Modell & Company, Inc. information". 2008, Hoover's, Inc. Retrieved 2008-07-15.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ a b c d Hevesi, Dennis (2008-02-15). "William D. Modell, Seller of Sporting Goods, Is Dead at 86". New York Times. Retrieved 2008-03-07.
William D. Modell, who as chairman of the Modell's Sporting Goods chain oversaw its expansion throughout much of the Northeast, died Thursday in Manhattan. He was 86 and lived in Hewlett Harbor, N.Y.
- ^ Hajewski, Doris (2006-08-27). "Burghardt's takes team approach as it passes ball down the line". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved 2008-03-07.
- ^ "Retailer: Rival CEO posed as exec to get secrets". Mail Online. 28 February 2014.
- ^ ABC News. "Dick's Sporting Goods Accuses Rival Modell's of Spying". ABC News.