Academy Sports renews Revionics pricing software pact

Academy Sports + Outdoors has renewed its use of Revionics pricing software, extending a relationship of more than a decade.

Academy uses Revionics' Base Price and Markdown Optimization tools across its sporting goods and outdoor retail business, which spans more than 300 stores in 21 US states. The system supports pricing decisions across a wide product range and a growing store network.

The renewal keeps in place software Academy has used as it expanded from a much smaller footprint. Founded in Texas as a family business, the retailer sells outdoor, apparel, footwear, and sports and recreation products through national and private-label brands.

Retailers across discretionary consumer categories have faced pressure to protect margins while maintaining a value-led offer for shoppers. In that context, pricing systems that analyse demand and customer sensitivity have become a more prominent part of retail operations, particularly for chains managing regional and store-level differences.

At Academy, the platform helps set base prices, manage markdowns on seasonal stock, and respond to local shopper preferences. It also supports expansion into new markets as the chain adds stores.

Store growth

Russell Kolb, Vice President, Pricing, Merchant Systems and Master Data Management at Academy, described how the retailer's pricing process changed as the business expanded.

"When I first joined Academy, we had approximately 70 stores, and our pricing team was manually analyzing individual stores and markets," Kolb said. "But now, we have more than 300 stores, and we leverage technology to help identify the right price across all stores and our highly varied assortment. That's where the Revionics tools really shine - we're able to unlock pricing strategies that deliver consistent value to shoppers and achieve stronger results, while easily scaling to manage more stores and products."

Markdown planning remains a central use case for the software, particularly in clearing seasonal inventory while keeping assortments current. That is a recurring challenge for sporting goods retailers, where demand can shift by season, geography, and product category.

Academy's merchandising model is built around local market variation, increasing the complexity of pricing decisions. A chain with a broad mix of outdoor equipment, footwear, apparel, and sports products may need different pricing responses across states and store clusters, depending on weather patterns, consumer income, and local competition.

Operational focus

Kolb also pointed to the working relationship with Revionics as a factor in the long-running arrangement.

"We have a fantastic working relationship with the Revionics team; they are responsive and consistently provide realistic timelines and solutions to help us achieve our goals," he said. "They stay in tune with our specific business needs and broader industry trends, often bringing us proactive ideas to explore. That level of collaboration allows us to constantly innovate our own processes and find new ways to drive results."

Revionics is part of Aptos and focuses on software for retail pricing, promotions, and markdowns. Its continued role at Academy reflects how specialist pricing technology has moved from a support function to a core part of retail decision-making as chains seek tighter control over margin, inventory, and local competitiveness.

For Academy, the renewed deal underlines its decision to keep pricing and markdown management tied to external software rather than manual analysis alone. As Kolb noted, the business now uses technology to identify prices across "all stores and our highly varied assortment".