With 100+ locations, 40,000+ unique products, and over $1 billion in revenue, Dick's Sporting Goods is the largest independant sporting goods retailer in the US.

The Challenge
Sporting goods retailing provides one of the most complex associative models available for ecommerce. This complexity stems from the variety of ways the products can be approached by the consumer. Depending on the application of the product sought, a shopper might seek a product via a number of relationships; by sport, by brand, by department, or by team.

The Solution
To provide the aformentioned breadth and flexibility required for Dick's success, a proprietary navigational and architectural system was developed called the Gateway Access Model (GAM). GAM allows a retailer to specify a variety of associative perspectives on the product base instead of a single, more literal one.

The resulting site received high praise from eCommerce ratings group Gomez.com, industry experts, and Dick's customers alike.

More Information
The Dick's Sporting Goods site was originally built for Online Retail Partners, and has since been modified graphically and architecturally. Nodal PT principal Rick Tilghman served as chief information architect for the Dick's engagement, overseeing all usability, navigation, and interface architecture.