Another Big-Box Operator Looking for New York City Presence

Following the lead of rival REI, sports equipment seller Dick's Sporting Goods would like to open a store in the Big Apple. The Real Deal reports the retailer is seriously considering locations at 1333 Broadway, in the Herald Square area, and at 3 Columbus Circle, the building that made news in 2011 with one of the biggest office leases of the year.

If Dick's Sporting Goods does decide to take one of the spaces above it will be among a long line of bix-box operators who've tried to break into urban markets in recent years in spite of difficulty in finding large enough stores and affordable rents. That's because sales productivity in a location like Herald Square or Columbus Cirlce would be hard to beat anywhere else.