How To Save at Academy Sports + Outdoors Every Time You Shop
When you step into Academy Sports + Outdoors, it’s easy to feel a little overwhelmed. One of the nation’s largest providers of sporting goods and outdoor equipment, Academy Sports’ 260+ locations are built like superstores, ranging from 35,000 to 50,000 square feet in size. You could spend a whole day rifling through boxes of shoes and racks of fitness apparel from brands like Champion, Nike and Reebok, browsing racks of kayaks and canoes and exploring aisles of camping, fishing and hunting gear.
No matter what your fitness or outdoor recreation pursuit is — golf, boxing, yoga, weightlifting or tailgating — you can find what you’re looking for in the sprawling Academy Sports stores (or, if not, online at Academy.com). Fitness trampolines? Check. Pizza ovens? Check. Officially licensed Houston Astros rain ponchos? Check.
The selection at Academy Sports might be overwhelming, but their prices don’t have to be. With a bit of creativity and planning, you can land top-of-the-line equipment and apparel from your favorite brands and licensed by your favorite teams.
That’s where we come in. The team at RetailMeNot has created a guide to scoring sports gear, apparel and equipment from Academy Sports, for less. With our tricks, hacks and insider tips, you can land deals on everything from outdoor furniture to traveler tumblers.
So without further ado, here’s how to save at Academy Sports + Outdoors every single time you shop.
1. Sign Up for Emails to Get Academy Sports Coupons + Promo Codes
When you sign up for the e-newsletter from the brand, you’ll unlock a special Academy Sports promo code good for a 10% discount on your next online purchase. Throughout the year, you’ll continue to receive Academy Sports coupons, personalized offers, updates on weekly sales and early access to pre-order announcements.
How to Sign Up for Academy Sports Emails
To subscribe to Academy Sports emails, scroll to the bottom of any page on Academy.com. Find the box that reads “Enter Email Address,” type in your email and hit “Sign Up.” You should receive your 10% off e-coupon immediately and additional Academy Sports online deals throughout the year.
2. Sign Up for Texts to Get Even More Academy Sports Coupons
If you prefer text messages to emails, you can sign up for Academy Sports texts instead of (or in addition to!) emails. When you sign up for texts, you’ll receive Academy Sports promo code offers and coupons, as well as handy information about sales, updates on your order and shipping alerts.
How to Sign Up for Academy Sports Texts
To sign up for text alerts from Academy Sports, text “MVP” to 22369. Want to stop receiving texts? Simply text the word “STOP” to this number.
3. Sign Up for the Academy Sports + Outdoors Credit Card
If you are a frequent shopper at Academy Sports, consider applying for an Academy Sports credit card. As a cardholder, you’ll unlock the following benefits:
- $15 off your first purchase at Academy Sports when you spend more than $15 on the day you’re approved.
- 5% off all Academy Sports purchases online and in-store made with your card.
- Free standard shipping on all orders of $15 or more from Academy.com.
How to Sign Up for an Academy Sports Credit Card
The easiest way for an Academy Sports credit card is online, but you may also sign up in stores. To apply, you’re asked to supply basic information about yourself and your income.
4. Never Pay For Academy Sports Shipping
There are a couple of ways to get free shipping at Academy Sports: As we mentioned in the last tip, you can sign up for an Academy Sports credit card to get free standard shipping on all orders of $15 or more.
Another way to get free shipping is to create a customer account at Academy.com. As an account holder, you’ll get free shipping on orders over $25. If you don’t make the free shipping threshold, you can still skip shipping fees by opting to pick up your order in-store or curbside. Academy Sports offers both in-store and curbside pickup service for free.
How to Place an Order for Curbside or In-store Pickup at Academy Sports
To place an order for curbside or in-store pickup at Academy Sports, select the “Free Store Pick Up” option when adding an item to your cart and make sure your current store is selected. When you receive an email or text notification that your order is ready, you can head to your Academy store with a government-issued ID.
If you are picking up curbside, park in one of the designated Pick Up spots and hit the link in your email or text notification to alert the staff you’ve arrived. A staff member will bring your order to you and load it into your vehicle.
5. Download the Academy Sports App
The Academy Sports app is a handy savings tool that hooks you up with exclusive offers, real-time updates about deals, and other perks. Using the app, you can:
- Shop the full Academy Sports + Outdoors collection.
- Get live updates about Academy Sports online deals and in-store offers.
- Find nearby Academy Sports locations.
- Scan bar codes in-store to get pricing, details and reviews.
- Track your purchases with digital receipts.
6. Shop the Academy Sports Clearance Section
In the Academy Sports clearance section, you’ll find discounts of up to 75% on current and last-season apparel, outdoor gear and more. Expect a slew of T-shirts, workout shorts, footwear and accessories for less than $10. The best part? Seasonal clearance sales run year-round, so there’s no need to wait until an Academy Sports sale or use an Academy Sports promo code.
7. Shop the Academy Sports Hot Deals Section
The Academy Sports clearance section isn’t the only place to look for massive savings. There’s also the Hot Deals section, which includes even more savings on apparel and gear. Often, “Hot Deal” items are limited-time offers on popular merchandise from top brands like Adidas, Yeti and Nike.
8. Take Advantage of All the Academy Sports Discounts
Academy Sports + Outdoors offers several exclusive discounts to certain members of the community. These include:
- Academy Sports Teacher Discount: Academy Sports + Outdoors runs biannual teacher discounts for teachers and school staffers. You can find out whether Academy Sports is currently running a teacher discount by checking their website or visiting the Academy Sports + Outdoors section of RetailMeNot.
- Academy Sports Military Discount: Similarly, Academy Sports + Outdoors runs seasonal military discounts for active duty, National Guard and veteran members of the military and their families. You can find out whether the retailer is currently running an Academy Sports military discount online by checking their website or visiting the Academy Sports + Outdoors section of RetailMeNot.
- Academy Sports First Responder Discounts: In addition, Academy Sports + Outdoors runs seasonal first responder discounts for law enforcement officers, firefighters, EMTs and 911 dispatchers. You can find out whether Academy Sports is currently running a first responder discount by checking their website or (yup, you guessed it) visiting the Academy Sports + Outdoors section of RetailMeNot.
9. Browse the Academy Sports Sale Ad
The Academy Sports sale ad circulars are a treasure trove of weekly deals, including clearance offers, sales and special offers. Academy Sports usually runs two different ads, including an Active Ad for sports and workout gear and apparel and an Outdoor Ad for recreational equipment.
Where to Find the Academy Sports Weekly Ad
You can find the Academy Sports sale ad online or in stores.
10. Take Advantage of the Generous Academy Sports Price “Beat” Policy
Like many major retailers, Academy Sports will beat the price of a competitor. That’s right: Not match, beat. Basically, this means that if you find a product sold at Academy Sports for a lower price than a qualifying competitor, Academy will sell the product to you for 5% lower than the competitor’s price.
How to Get a Price Match from Academy Sports
In order to qualify for a price match, you’ll have to provide a copy of the digital or print ad showing the competitor’s price. If you’re shopping in a store, you can show the ad to an Academy Sports staff member. If you’re shopping online, you can send the ad to Academy via email or snail mail.
Who Does Academy Sports Price Match?
Remember, in order to qualify for a price match from Academy Sports, the item has to be from a qualified retailer. Qualified retailers include any local store and select online retailers. Some competitors that Academy Sports will price-match include Amazon (but not third-party sellers on Amazon Marketplace), Bass Pro Shops, Cabela’s, REI, Target and Walmart (but not third-party sellers on Walmart Marketplace). See the full list of competitors Academy Sports will price match.
11. Shop Academy Sports Rebates
For the uninitiated: a rebate is a cashback offer on the purchase of a product. The mail-in rebate is one of the most common types of rebates and involves sending in some paperwork after purchasing a product to get a full or partial refund.
Academy Sports has a list of rebate offers on its site, good for things like cash back, freebies and more. It’s worth checking out to see if any of your purchases qualify for a rebate, and how to get said rebate.
12. Shop the Academy Sports Black Friday Sale
One of the most anticipated Academy Sports sale events of the year, the Academy Sports Black Friday sale includes discounts of up to 50% on hot products. Last year, the sale began on Nov. 21 and ran all week, and included deals on everything from bikes to designer sunglasses to ride-on toys.
Is Academy Sports Open on Thanksgiving?
Academy Sports is closed on Thanksgiving. However, you can still shop the Academy Sports Black Friday sale online at Academy.com.
The post How To Save at Academy Sports + Outdoors Every Time You Shop appeared first on The Real Deal by RetailMeNot.
