Eastbay is shuttering its business at the end of the month, the sneaker and sportswear retailer announced on its website this week.
The closure of Eastbay was initially hinted at in October when WPR reported that Foot Locker Inc., the parent company of Eastbay, announced it would be closing its Wausau-based distribution center. Layoffs at the center will begin in late January and the facility is expected to shut down by the end of April.
“We’re saying goodbye to Eastbay at the end of December 2022,” Eastbay said in a statement on the FAQ section of its website.
Eastbay was founded in 1980 by two lifelong friends, Art Juedes and Rick Gering, after they were dissatisfied with the options of running shoes available for athletes around their hometown of Wausau, Wisconsin. The duo’s business model was simple: bring the shoes directly to the athletes. Eastbay gained fame in its early days by mailing monthly catalogs to its subscribers, providing shoppers with information about the latest offerings from popular brands like Nike, Adidas, and many others.
In the late ‘90s, Eastbay was acquired by Foot Locker and would join its umbrella of retailers alongside Champs Sports. Despite ending its business this month, Eastbay confirmed that customers who have remaining XPoints and gift cards after the end of this month will still be able to use them at Foot Locker’s family of retailers. The platform also urges shoppers to visit champssports.com for the latest products moving forward.
