DKS vs WSO Comparison

Dick's Sporting Goods is a retailer that offers sports and outdoor apparel, footwear, and equipment online and in physical stores. The company's legacy business includes more than 700 stores under its own name, more than 110 Golf Galaxy golf specialty stores, and about 50 outlet stores. In September 2025, Dick's acquired multinational retailer Foot Locker. With this move, Dick's added about 2,600 stores under the Foot Locker, Kids Foot Locker, Champs Sports, atmos, and WSS nameplates in North America, the Asia-Pacific, and EMEA—Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Based in the Pittsburgh area, Dick's was founded in 1948 by the father of current executive chair and controlling shareholder Edward Stack.

Watsco is the largest heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration products distributor in North America. The company primarily operates in the United States (90% of revenue), with significant exposure in the Sun Belt states. Watsco also has operations in Canada (5% of sales) and Latin America (5% of sales). The company's customer base consists of more than 125,000 contractors that serve the replacement and new construction HVACR markets for residential and light commercial applications.