Do Dick's Sporting Goods in malls have different open hours from standalone stores?

Why Dick’s Sporting Goods Store Hours Aren’t Always the Same

Let’s get straight to the pain point: Do Dick’s Sporting Goods stores inside malls open and close at the same times as standalone locations? The answer is: not always, and there’s a surprisingly tangled logic behind it. A few months ago, I set out to buy a last-minute soccer ball for my nephew from the Dick’s Sporting Goods at our local mall—assuming it’d be open as late as the rest of the mall. Imagine my surprise when I arrived at 8:40 p.m., only to see the staff already locking up, even though the mall’s big neon sign promised shopping until 9:30. That got me thinking: What actually governs these hours, and how can shoppers avoid this kind of frustration?

What Governs Store Hours: Mall Policies vs. Corporate Standards

There’s a common assumption that all stores inside a mall must follow the mall’s operating hours. But in reality, it’s a dance between the mall’s lease agreements and the retailer’s corporate policies. According to the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC), malls typically require their tenants to be open during “core” hours but often make exceptions for anchor tenants—big stores that draw in crowds, like Dick’s Sporting Goods. These anchors often negotiate their own schedules, sometimes opening earlier or closing later than the rest of the mall, or, as in my case, shutting down earlier. In fact, Dick’s Sporting Goods corporate site notes (buried in their FAQ): “Store hours may vary by location, including those inside malls. Please check your store’s page for specific hours.” (see Dick’s store locator)

Personal Experience: Trying to Outguess Opening Hours

To test this, I checked hours for three different Dick’s locations in my state—one standalone, two inside malls. Here’s what I found (screenshots from the Dick’s site and Google Maps):

• Standalone: 9:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. (Mon-Sat), 10:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. (Sun)
• Mall 1: 10:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. daily, despite mall being open until 9:00 p.m.
• Mall 2: 9:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. (matches mall hours)

So, there’s no single pattern. In fact, a Reddit thread in r/retail had employees venting about having to close before the rest of the mall due to staffing or corporate policy.

How to Check (and Not Get Caught Out)

Here’s my actual workflow now, after being burned a few times:

1. I don’t trust Google Maps entirely. Sometimes their hours are user-submitted and not always updated for holidays or mall-specific quirks.
2. On the Dick’s Sporting Goods website, I use the store locator, entering my zip code, and click the specific store for posted hours.
3. If in doubt, I call the store directly. The phone number is always on the store’s page. The staff can tell you if their hours match the mall’s or if they’re doing something different due to staffing, renovations, or local policies.

On holidays, add another step: Check the mall’s own website, as some malls will post “holiday hours” for anchors separately.

Why This Happens: Lease Agreements and Local Decisions

Industry experts, like retail consultant Susan Reda from the National Retail Federation (NRF Blog), confirm that anchor stores like Dick’s often have “co-tenancy clauses” allowing them to set their own hours, especially if they have external entrances. This protects their operational flexibility and staffing needs. Here’s a quote from a real property manager on a commercial leasing forum (BiggerPockets): “Anchors almost always have the right to depart from published mall hours, as long as they meet a minimum schedule. If they have a street-facing entrance, they might not even open into the mall at all.”

International Perspective: Comparing “Verified Trade” Standards

Since trade standards and retail practices differ around the globe, I dug into how different countries regulate “verified trade” for retail timing and consumer protections. Here’s a quick table summarizing some differences:

Country/Region	Standard Name	Legal Basis	Enforcement Org
USA	Fair Trade Practices	Federal Trade Commission Act, state law	FTC, State AGs
EU	Consumer Rights Directive	2011/83/EU	European Consumer Centres
Japan	Act on Specified Commercial Transactions	Act No. 57 of 1976	Consumer Affairs Agency
China	Law on the Protection of Consumer Rights and Interests	1993 (amended 2013)	State Administration for Market Regulation

For example, in the EU, the Consumer Rights Directive requires clear disclosure of store hours and exceptions, especially for “anchor” or “external entrance” stores. In the US, there’s no federal requirement—just a patchwork of state and local rules, with most enforcement coming from consumer complaints or local business licensing.

Case Study: US vs. EU Anchor Tenant Regulation

Let’s say a Dick’s Sporting Goods opens inside a German shopping center. Under EU rules, the store must post its hours clearly and, if they differ from the mall, explain why (see Directive 2011/83/EU). In the US, this is usually “recommended” as good practice, but rarely enforced unless a pattern of consumer deception is shown.

Expert Take: Retail Consultant Interview

I chatted with Mark Feldman, a retail leasing specialist with 20 years’ experience. Here’s his take: “Most mall management companies want uniform hours for the sake of customer experience, but anchors like Dick’s have enough bargaining power to negotiate exceptions. If you’re a regular, always check the store’s exterior entrance hours, not just the mall’s website. Especially during COVID or staffing crunches, these hours can change with little notice.”

Real-World Example: When the Policy Bites Back

A friend of mine worked at a Dick’s in a mall where the store had an external entrance. During the pandemic, the mall’s interior was closed for cleaning, but Dick’s kept its exterior entrance open for curbside pickups, technically operating outside “mall hours.” This flexibility helped keep business afloat—but confused customers, who’d see the mall closed but Dick’s lights blazing.

Conclusion: What Should Shoppers Do?

In short, Dick’s Sporting Goods locations inside malls do not always follow the mall’s posted opening and closing times. The hours are at the intersection of mall requirements, lease agreements, and Dick’s own policies. In practice, this means:

• Always check the specific store’s page on the Dick’s website—don’t assume hours based on the mall or Google Maps.
• For big shopping days or holidays, double-check with both the mall and the store directly.
• If you’re planning a late-night dash or early-morning pickup, call ahead or look for an exterior entrance, which might have its own hours.

I’ve personally been caught out by these quirks more than once, so now I always double-check before heading out. If you’re the kind of person who hates wasted trips as much as I do, this little bit of planning can save you a lot of frustration. For more on retail anchor tenant rights, see the ICSC’s official guidelines.

Final Thought

Shopping schedules are getting ever more complex as big-box stores flex their muscles and malls try to adapt. Until there’s a global standard (unlikely anytime soon), the best advice is: trust but verify—and always call ahead, just in case the rules have changed again.