Fast Five Shorts | Do You Agree With Hibbett’s Decision To Create A Standalone Kids App? - Omni Talk Retail

Summary

Omni Talk Retail Podcast Summary

Episode: Fast Five Shorts | Do You Agree With Hibbett’s Decision To Create A Standalone Kids App?
Release Date: July 3, 2025
Hosts: Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga (Featured Guest: Jordan)

Introduction to Hibbett’s New Initiative

In this episode of Omni Talk Retail, hosts Chris Walton and Jordan discuss Hibbett’s recent strategic move to launch a standalone mobile app and e-commerce website dedicated to kids' apparel and footwear. Announced on July 3, 2025, this initiative aims to cater specifically to children ages 13 and younger, featuring products from renowned brands such as New Balance, Jordan, Nike, Crocs, and Adidas.

Key Features of Hibbett Kids App:

Platforms: Available on both Android and iOS.
Offerings: Apparel and footwear tailored for children.
E-commerce Enhancements: Installment payment options, customer service chat, access to rewards programs, notifications for new product releases, and personalized content.
Product Updates: Commitment to releasing new products daily.
Ownership: This digital expansion coincides with JD Sports’ acquisition of Hibbett for $1.1 billion the previous year.

Jordan’s Critical Perspective

Jordan expresses skepticism about Hibbett’s decision to create a standalone kids app and website. He questions the underlying motivations and strategic thinking behind this move, especially considering the digital landscape and current consumer behavior.

Jordan’s Key Points:

Lack of Understanding:
“I mean, I don't get it. I don't understand. I feel like there's something that we don't understand here...” [00:57]
Jordan is puzzled by the necessity of a separate platform, suggesting that standard e-commerce practices like product filtering are already common and should suffice.
Alternative Investment Strategies:
“I think I would be focused on not just this, but how do I invest that money instead of building an app...” [01:35]
He advocates for allocating resources towards content creation, media buys, and influencer partnerships on platforms like TikTok and Snapchat, which are more aligned with current traffic sources and consumer engagement.
Traffic Acquisition Concerns:
“How am I integrating this into how I show up in large language search across, you know, Gemini and Chatbots. That's where the traffic is coming.” [01:50]
Emphasizing the importance of SEO and chatbot integration as primary drivers of traffic, Jordan doubts the efficacy of a standalone app in attracting the desired audience.
Mismatch with Consumer Behavior:
“Kids are on Snap and TikTok. So, like, that's where I'd be focusing right now... not on building a standalone app...” [02:20]
He highlights the disconnect between where children and their parents are active online versus the utility of a separate app for engagement.

Chris’s Agreement and Additional Insights

Chris aligns closely with Jordan’s viewpoints, reinforcing the criticisms of Hibbett’s strategy.

Chris’s Key Points:

General Disapproval:
“I 100% agree with you... Generally speaking, I hate moves like this.” [02:46]
Chris shares a strong aversion to the decision, questioning its strategic merit.
Operational Challenges:
“You've got to market and operate two distinct properties.” [03:05]
He points out the logistical difficulties and increased operational costs associated with managing separate platforms.
Possible Rationales:
“The only conceivable rationale I can give for this is... they decided to create a kids website to understand if we can do it better.” [02:50]
Chris speculates that the move might be a preliminary step towards a broader digital overhaul, though he remains unconvinced of its necessity.
Overall Assessment:
“This is, I think, an insanely dumb idea.” [03:20]
He succinctly summarizes his stance, emphasizing the perceived lack of strategic foresight in Hibbett’s approach.

Concluding Remarks and Future Topics

Both hosts conclude their discussion by acknowledging the perplexity surrounding Hibbett’s decision. Jordan expresses uncertainty about the pre-existing conditions that may have influenced this move, while both agree that alternative strategies would likely yield better engagement and traffic.

Final Thoughts:

Jordan’s Frustration:
“It doesn't make any sense to me. That's why I'm like, there has to be something that we don't understand...” [03:58]
Chris’s Anticipation:
“I can't wait to hear what you say about the next headline because you keep growing here in... in... in hot takes.” [04:31]

The episode wraps up with the hosts signaling a transition to the next topic, maintaining their focus on incisive and critical analysis of current retail trends.

Notable Quotes:

“No kids are going to that. They're on TikTok, they're on Snap...” — Jordan [02:20]
“This is, I think, an insanely dumb idea.” — Chris [03:20]
“If I were Hibbett, I think... how am I investing that money into content creation media buys...” — Jordan [01:35]

Conclusion

In this episode, Chris and Jordan provide a critical examination of Hibbett’s strategic decision to launch a dedicated kids’ app and e-commerce platform. They articulate concerns regarding traffic acquisition, resource allocation, and alignment with current consumer behaviors, ultimately questioning the efficacy and rationale behind such a digital maneuver. Their discussion underscores the importance of strategic alignment with market trends and consumer engagement channels in the rapidly evolving retail landscape.

Transcript

Chris (0:00)

Hibbit has debuted a Kid Kiss app and e commerce site, according to retail dive. Hibbit, the Birmingham, Alabama based athletics apparel and footwear company, has launched an e commerce website and mobile app dedicated to selling products for kids, the retailer announced last Wednesday. The app is available on Android and iOS devices. Hibbit kids offers apparel and footwear for kids ages 13 and younger from brands like New Balance, Jordan, Nike, Crocs and Adidas. The e commerce platform features installment payment options, a customer service chat feature, access to its rewards program, new product release notifications and personalized content. The retailer also said it plans to release new products on a daily basis. Hibbett is executing this digital push with a new owner at its helm, UK based JD Sports, which bought Hibbett last year for $1.1 billion. And do you agree with Hibbett's decision to create a standalone kids app and website?

Jordan (0:57)

I mean, I don't get it. I don't understand. I, I feel like there's something that we don't understand here and that is like what the condition was of the Hibbett platform before JD Sports bought it. Because to me like filtering by product type, new arrival, size, gender, like that's just best practice for an e comm site back in, you know, even 10 years ago or whenever. I mean I, if I were Hibbett, I think or JD Sports in this case, I think I would be focused on not just this, but how do I invest that money instead of building an app, how am I investing that money into content creation media buys that get them front and center in front of with influencers on TikTok, on Snap and other platforms and then, you know, how am I also integrating this into how I show up in large language search across, you know, Gemini and Chatbots. That's where the traffic is coming. Like this just feels very old school. Like oh. And so that's why I guess I'm wondering like, did they just have to revamp the site because it was so bad before that in order to drive any traffic they had to just set up a basic taxonomy here. But the app to me, absolutely not. No kids are going to that. They're on tick tock, they're on Snap, they're finding new products that way and the their parents who are trying to figure out what the best shoes are for them or you know, parents of a toddler trying to figure out what the best shoes are that will hold up to a summer program for a toddler. Like those questions are going to Chatbots. The kids are on Snap and TikTok. So, like, that's where I'd be focusing right now if I was trying to go after those audiences, not. Not on building a standalone app that I don't know how they're going to get traffic to. But that's just me. You're the E Comm expert. What would you have done if you were Hibbett or JD Sports? Chris?

Chris (2:46)

No, I mean, it was like I was talking to myself there. And, I mean, you're. You're coming in hot and strong on this podcast. No, I mean, I 100% agree with you. I mean, you know, generally speaking, I hate moves like this. And it goes to what you said. It's. It's about traffic. Like, now you've got to market and operate two distinct properties. Like, you know, one should be able to do that job if you're doing it well, to your point. So, like, you know, but the only conceivable rationale I can give for this is, you know, why would JD Sports take this approach? The only rationale is maybe they got, you know, they bought Hibbit and they're like, they got into it and they're like, oh, my God, this is going to be really hard to replatform this website to the degree that we want to. And it's probably even an impossibility. So, you know, that's the only answer I can give. And so they're like, okay, let's create a kids website so we can understand if we can do it better and then we can migrate the adult business onto that platform over time. That's the only conceivable rationale. Otherwise, this is, I think, an insanely dumb idea. And wouldn't you agree? I mean, it sounded like you did.