Champs Sports will close its only location in Ocala, which is within the Paddock Mall, near the end of this month.
Located at 3100 SW College Road, the shoe and apparel retailer will shut down on January 26. Ocala-News.com confirmed the store closure with staff on Friday.
Last week, an employee at the Ocala store took to social media to offer his thanks to local customers.
“Champs Sports in Paddock Mall, the company’s oldest store, will close its gates for good by the end of the month,” reads a statement posted by James Jamar on Facebook. “From your Champs team in Ocala, we appreciate our loyal customers and thank them for making our job enjoyable and fun.”
Champs Sports was acquired by Foot Locker in the 1980s. In 2023, Foot Locker announced plans to close 400 of its stores, including dozens of Champs locations, through 2026.
At the time of the announcement, the company stated that it would be focusing on standalone stores and closing underperforming locations within malls.
Without Champs, the mall will still have at least seven other stores that primarily sell footwear, including Foot Locker and JD Sports.
The closure of Ocala’s only Champs location comes less than seven months after Starbucks abruptly closed its sole location at the Paddock Mall.
The mall continues to see changes in its retail offering, with new additions over the past year including lululemon, Pandora, Popeyes, Restaurant Depot, and BM Jewelers.
Last month, the Chick-fil-A at the mall reopened after a lengthy remodel, and the Paddock Market is still under construction in the former Sears.
Do you have memories of shopping at Champs Sports in the Paddock Mall? Share them in a comment below or a letter to the editor.