Dunham's Sports

Dunham's Sports is an American sporting goods retail chain owned by Dunham's Athleisure Corporation,^[2] with stores located in the Midwestern to Southeastern United States. The chain specializes in athletic equipment, clothing, firearms, and other sports-related items. The chain has over 259 locations in 25 states, including Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

Dunham's store in Athens, Tennessee

Dunham's location at the Grand Traverse Mall in Traverse City, Michigan

Dunham's Sports

Formerly	Dunham's Bait & Tackle (1937–1953)
Company type	Private
Industry	Retail
Founded	1937 (88 years ago) (1937) in West Bloomfield, Michigan
Founder	Ron Dunham
Headquarters	Troy, Michigan , U.S.
Number of locations	259 (2024[1])
Area served	Midwest and Southeast United States
Key people	Jeffrey G Lynn (CEO)[2]
Products	Apparel, sports equipment, footwear, exercise equipment, firearms, ammunition
Revenue	US$422.2 million (2022)
Owner	Dunham's Athleisure Corporation
Number of employees	6,000 (2025)
Website	Official website

History

The first store opened in West Bloomfield Township, Michigan in 1937 as Dunham's Bait & Tackle.^[1] It was operated by Ron Dunham on Northwestern Highway west of Telegraph Road. The original store gained exposure through advertisements in Newsweek and fishing shows hosted on radio. The original store burnt down in 1946 but was promptly rebuilt.^[3]

Robert L Schmalzried bought the store in 1953 and relocated it to the corner of Northwestern Highway and Orchard Lake Road.^[4] American Can Company acquired the chain in 1985.^[5] At the time of the acquisition, the chain had eight stores: five in Metro Detroit, one in Grand Rapids, Michigan, one in Anderson, Indiana, and one in Muncie, Indiana.^[6] After merging with Primerica, the company sold off Dunham's in 1989.^[7] By 1991, the company had 49 stores and was headquartered in Waterford Township, Michigan. Dunham's Sports is currently headquartered in Troy, Michigan.^[8]