Assessing Acquisition Potential for a Leading Retailer with Relevance + Momentum^®

The CHALLENGE

A leading sporting goods retailer faced a high-stakes decision: whether to acquire a smaller, regional chain in the Chicago metro area. With only four weeks to evaluate the opportunity, the client needed clear, data-driven guidance on the brand’s equity and future growth potential.

The decision came with layered complexities. The regional chain had strong local loyalty but limited broader awareness, making it difficult to gauge its true market value. The client also needed to weigh multiple strategic pathways—acquire, rebrand, expand, or retain as-is—each with very different implications for growth.

At the heart of the challenge was a critical question: did the brand hold enough current relevance and future momentum to justify investment?

The APPROACH

To answer with confidence, we applied our Relevance + Momentum^® (R+M) philosophy, a data-backed framework that links consumer perceptions to topline growth.

• Relevance assessed the brand’s strength today—its market presence, customer affinity, and competitive distinction.
• Momentum revealed its growth trajectory—how vibrant, innovative, and aligned with consumer values the brand appeared.

Our team combined AI-assisted social listening with secondary research to capture how shoppers perceived the brand. This uncovered not only core impressions, but also unmet needs and emotional drivers in the sporting goods category.

We then applied R+M diagnostics to benchmark the regional chain against national and regional competitors. Finally, we distilled findings into a strategic SWOT framework that made opportunities, risks, and brand implications immediately clear for decision-makers.

The OUTCOME

The analysis uncovered a compelling case for acquisition. Our R+M framework demonstrated both the brand’s resonance with local shoppers and its untapped potential to expand loyalty and differentiation in a highly competitive category.

Armed with these insights, the client quickly aligned on a confident path forward. By clarifying growth levers and identifying where investment would matter most, the framework not only de-risked the decision but also equipped leadership with a clear narrative to support long-term strategy.

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