Another Sporting Goods Chain Folds

For the second time in two weeks, a major sporting goods store chain is calling its quits, a move that will be felt in the Inland Empire.

Sports Authority, which operates eight stores in Riverside and San Bernardino counties, is going out of business one month after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, according to published reports.

The company, which is reportedly more than $1 billion in debt, rejected a reorganization plan and instead will pursue a sale, the reports stated.

In March, Sports Authority announced that it would close 140 of its 464 stores in the United States and Puerto Rico in order to cut costs and help pay its debt. However, an attorney for the company said in bankruptcy court this week that the company had changed course and will close all of its stores.

That came shortly after Sports Chalet, which operates several stores in the Inland Empire, announced it plans to close all of its stores nationwide.

Those two closings mean several Inland Empire malls have some space to fill, and that might not be easy in some locations, said Carol Plowman, a senior vice president with Lee & Associates Ontario.

“You have more and more people shopping online, and malls that need to be renovated and repositioned in the market,” said Plowman, who specializes in retail transactions.