Uber Technologies Inc. is partnering with Hibbett Inc. to bring the sportswear retailer’s offerings to Uber Eats, continuing the platform’s push beyond food delivery.
Beginning this week, shoppers using Uber Eats can select from nearly 900 stores Hibbett operates across the U.S., with same-day delivery available on sneakers, athletic wear, and accessories, the companies announced Oct. 23.
For Hibbett, the move further builds out its digital strategy since its 2024 acquisition by U.K.-based sportswear giant JD Sports.
JD Sports ranks No. 22 in Digital Commerce 360’s Europe Database, ranking the largest online retailers in the region. Meanwhile, Hibbett is No. 294 in the Top 2000. The database is Digital Commerce 360’s ranking of the largest North American online retailers. There, it falls under the Sporting Goods category. Digital Commerce 360 projects Hibbett’s total online sales in 2025 will reach $314.04 million.
Uber Easts expands retail delivery footprint with Hibbett
With Hibbett now live on Uber Eats, the platform is continuing to expand beyond restaurants to build out its non-food portfolio.
Since June, Uber has added a string of retailers — including Designer Shoe Warehouse (DSW), Best Buy, Sephora, and Dick’s Sporting Goods — to its app for same-day delivery.
In announcing the Hibbett partnership, the company framed the strategy as a push to become “a one-stop destination for lifestyle, performance, and sport.”
For Hibbett in particular, the Uber tie-up also helps fill a delivery gap. While the Alabama-based chain says it already offers one- to two-day shipping via Walmart GoLocal and DoorDash, it previously lacked a broad same-day home delivery option.
“By bringing together the agility and speed customers love from Uber Eats with the trusted Hibbett shopping experience, we’re creating a new convenient way to shop for athletic-inspired fashion, the latest sneaker drops from brands like Nike and Jordan and much more,” said Bill Quinn, Hibbett’s interim chief information officer, in a statement. “This initiative isn’t just about faster delivery, it’s about more access for our local communities.”
To shop Hibbett through Uber Eats, customers can navigate to the “Retail” section of the app, select a local store, and browse available sneakers, apparel and accessories for same-day delivery, Uber said. Orders can be scheduled or delivered on demand, with real-time tracking available in the app. Uber added that its Uber One members receive perks such as $0 delivery fees on eligible orders.
Same-day delivery becomes a retail priority
The move comes as more retailers – including Kohl’s, Lowe’s and Sephora – increasingly turn to Uber Eats, Instacart and DoorDash to handle their last-mile fulfillment.
Underscoring that trend, a survey of 150 retail leaders by UPS-owned Roadie found that 80% saw improved customer satisfaction from same-day delivery, while 70% said it helped increase sales. Other reported benefits included higher retention, improved conversion, and reduced inventory costs.
The footwear sector, in particular, has been a recent focus. In September, Designer Brands Inc., the parent company of DSW, partnered with Uber Eats to offer same-day delivery from nearly 500 DSW stores. Allbirds, which joined the delivery platform in 2024, was Uber Eats’ first footwear partner.
On the consumer side, RunRepeat found that 63% of consumers planned to shop for footwear online during the 2023 holiday season. As well, Amazon reported that 74% of U.S. footwear purchases now occur online. Both figures were cited in Market.us research published in May.
Looking ahead, Market.us projects the global ecommerce footwear market will reach $245.6 billion by 2034, up from $120.3 billion in 2024. North America leads with a 32.6% share, currently valued at $39.6 billion.
JD Sports pushes U.S. expansion
Against that backdrop, JD Sports is investing heavily in the North American market through its acquisition of Hibbett.
JD acquired Hibbett in 2024 for approximately $1.1 billion, gaining nearly 1,200 stores. The deal expands JD’s U.S. portfolio, which also includes Shoe Palace and DTLR.
Since then, Hibbett has launched a dedicated Kids ecommerce site and renewed its Digital Wave contract to support its online shopping experience.
More recently, Hibbett’s vice president of digital operations discussed the company’s ecommerce priorities and omnichannel strengths in an interview with Digital Commerce 360.
JD reports higher market share in North America
In its latest earnings report, JD Sports emphasized that “delivering a world-class omnichannel experience for our customer remains one of our top priorities.”
The retailer said group sales rose 18% to $7.90 billion (£5.94 billion) during the 26 weeks ended Aug. 2, the first half of its fiscal 2026. That was up from $6.69 billion (£5.03 billion) in the year-ago period.
At constant currency, sales were up 20%, boosted by the acquisitions of Hibbett and French sneaker retailer Groupe Courir, Hibbett said.
Online sales for the period reached $1.5 billion (£1.1 billion), accounting for 19% of group revenue. That figure included an 11.1% increase at constant currency, though organic online sales declined 1.6%.
North America was JD’s largest market in the first half, generating 39% of group revenue, or $3.09 billion (£2.32 billion). The region also saw stronger online results, supported by an expanded product range, more targeted marketing, and — to a lesser extent — the rollout of a new ecommerce platform for the JD and Finish Line fascias, the company said.
Despite the mixed performance, CEO Régis Schultz said the company continues to gain market share in North America.
“We continue to build strong brand awareness of the JD fascia by building out our customer proposition and investing in new stores,” he said, noting that the company is “successfully progressing the integration of Hibbett.”
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