Academy Sports + Outdoors
4.3(19)4.3 out of 5 stars, 19 reviews Birmingham, AL
About Academy Sports + Outdoors
This is a new, clean, and organized retail store specializing in outdoor sports gear, including items suitable for children like go-karts. While the store itself is new and visually appealing, parents should be aware of significant reported issues with customer service, price accuracy, and unreliability of staff promises, particularly concerning high-demand or large-ticket items. It's a place to *buy* gear for kids' activities, not an entertainment venue itself.
What parents should know
Summarized from real visitor reviews.
Best for: Parents looking to purchase new outdoor sports gear for their children in a clean and organized environment (Reviews 4, 5)Attending specific grand opening events or MVP nights mentioned (Review 4)Sells products for children, exemplified by 'go kart for our kids' (Review 2). Specific age ranges for products are not detailed in reviews.
Why families love it
- New, clean, and organized store environment (Review 5)
- Grand Opening event on October 11th and MVP night on October 6th (5PM-9PM) (Review 4)
- The store is very nice, clean, and organized with new inventory (Review 5)
- Opportunity to purchase large outdoor sports items for kids, such as go-karts (Review 2)
Insider tips
- Always double-check prices at the register as marked prices may differ and may not be honored (e.g., $14.99 vs $17.99 for shorts) (Review 1)
- For large purchases like go-karts, arrange transportation *before* visiting the store, as the store may not accommodate holds or delayed pickup (Review 2)
- Do not rely on staff promises regarding item availability or special pricing, especially for high-demand items or Black Friday deals; confirm everything immediately (Review 2)
- If seeking detailed product information, an in-person visit might be more productive than a phone call due to reported poor phone customer service (Review 3)
Good to know before you go
- Expecting marked prices to be honored if discrepancies occur at the register (Review 1)
- Relying on staff promises for holds, future availability, or meeting times for critical purchases (Review 2)
- Calling for detailed product inquiries if you expect a patient and thorough conversation (Review 3)
- Price discrepancies: Items like shorts marked $14.99 rang up $17.99; staff unwilling to honor marked price (Review 1)
- General price increases and diminishing value (Review 1)
- Crowds
- Implied busy during sales events like Black Friday, making it difficult to secure high-demand items (Review 2). Store staff mentioned having 'other customers in front of me' suggesting it can be busy (Review 3).
- Value
- Reported price increases across the board, with specific examples of items ringing up higher than marked (e.g., $14.99 shorts scanning at $17.99). Overall value is described as 'not as good anymore'. Black Friday pricing was mentioned but not successfully secured due to store policies and staff actions (Reviews 1, 2).
- Accessibility
- No specific accessibility accommodations mentioned in reviews.
- Safety
- No specific safety features related to children's play or activities were mentioned, as this is a retail store. Standard retail environment safety expected.
What parents say
"PRICES HAVE GONE UP!!! I had a pair of $14.99 shorts and took them to the register. They rang up $17.99. Rather than offer to give them to me for the price marked, the cashier just said "yeah...they're doing some markups". So, seems there are across the board markups happening...not as good a value anymore. Disappointing."
in the last week
"Terrible customer service experience with "manager" Erica. We tried to buy a go kart for our kids on Black Friday but did not have a way to transport it that day (we both drive Hondas). Asked if we could go ahead and pay for one of the two they had in stock - she said no. Asked if we could place one on hold and return with a truck the next day - she said no. She assured us that one would still be available on Monday (3 days later) so we arranged for a family member to drive to Birmingham with a truck and figure out transport, plus left our contact info in case something changed. She promised t"
5 months ago
"I will never buy a gun from this place. I’m in the market for one. I called the store to ask them questions and as I was in the middle of talking the clerk interrupted me and said, “Sir I have to go I have other customers in front of me.” I have no words after experiencing that with customer service."
4 months ago
Reviews sourced from public Google data.
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