If you’re looking for a great deal on some athletic clothing or sports gear, get ready to head over to Sports Authority… maybe sometime in July. Deep in debt and unable to reorganize itself to keep going, the company declared bankruptcy in March. Liquidators outbid competitors for the remaining stores, and Dick’s and Modell’s only wanted a few dozen stores combined anyway.

You can look forward to sales that begin just before Memorial Day, and conclude before Labor Day. The rough start and end dates are May 25 and August 31, according to bankruptcy court documents (p. 68) While this could change pending any changes of Sports Authority’s plans or the liquidators’ plans, and might vary by region, you can still expect that the store closing sales will keep going for the better part of the summer.

You’ll see familiar faces in the store, since at least at first the liquidators will hire current employees to run the store while it closes. At first, you’ll generally see merchandise marked up to its full retail value, which is not necessarily what you would have paid before the liquidation sale. Then the markdowns begin, ending when there’s nothing left but dregs from the warehouse for 90% off, and the shelves and fixtures are for sale.

NOTICE OF (I) SUCCESSFUL BIDS AND NEXT HIGHEST BIDS FOR CERTAIN MAIN AUCTION ASSETS SUBJECT TO MAIN AUCTION, (II) EXECUTED AGENCY AGREEMENT, AND (III) PROPOSED SALE GUIDELINES [PDF]

FURTHER READING:

Why Are So Many Sporting Goods Stores Going Bankrupt?

The Death of the Great American Sporting Goods Store [Racked]