Hibbitt Sports comes to Orange

A new sporting goods store in Orange hopes to be a winner for their customers.

Hibbett Sports opened a 6,000 square foot store a week ago in the Orangehurst Shopping Center in Pinehurst. Manager Dewain Conway said the store will hold a grand opening all day, starting at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 11. The store will give away free T-shirts and the first 20 customers will get a gift card, but they have to follow Hibbett Sports on Instagram and/or Twitter.

Conway said some well known clothing and shoe brands carried in the store are Under Armour, Nike, Jordan Apparel, Costa and Oakley glasses. They also carry football, volleyball, basketball, boxing, weights and other sports equipment.

“We run some good sales at holidays on shoes and apparel, for instance. We have a clearance rack of up to 50 percent. We also give away coupons a lot,” he said.

Customers received mobile texts about upcoming sales.

The store also does team orders.

Conway said Hibbett stays in smaller cities rather than larger ones. He added their prices are somewhat cheaper than Dick's Sporting Goods and Academy Sports and Outdoors.

Hibbett Sports has a simple philosophy: it's all about the customer, according to their company website.

“Though the company has grown to over 800 stores in 29 states, we've never lost sight of our roots as a neighborhood sporting goods store,” the site stated. “We start at the local store level, carefully choosing a selection of sporting goods designed to meet the needs of the cities and towns where we locate. We strive to make each store about you, the customer, and your needs, offering the highest quality name brands and very competitive prices. Then we separate ourselves from the competition with our excellent customer service, training every associate to equip them with exceptional product knowledge that helps them serve you better.”

Conway has been with the company for one year. He began as an assistant manager and then became a store coach and trainer. He's originally from Mississippi and worked at Hibbett stores in Moss Bluff and Sulphur, La.