1980 – 1996
In 1971, Gart Sports Company opened its first “Superstore” with the opening of the “Sportscastle” store in Denver, Colorado at the corner of 10th Avenue and Broadway. The 1980s proved to be an exciting time for the company, during which the company grew through a series of acquisitions. These mergers included Hagan’s Sports Ltd. (1987) and Stevens Brown of Salt Lake City (1987). In the fall of 1992, Leonard Green & Partners acquired Thrifty and became the company’s largest shareholder.