DICK’S Sporting Goods has partnered with Adobe to deepen the retailer’s use of AI across its athlete experience, with the companies positioning the initiative around personalized digital coaching, better cross-channel targeting, and faster content production. The announcement was made by Adobe at Adobe Summit on April 21, 2026, and focuses primarily on how DICK’S plans to use Adobe’s customer experience stack inside its app and marketing workflows, not on a fully detailed company-wide AI transformation rollout.
TL;DR
- Adobe announced a new partnership with DICK’S Sporting Goods at Adobe Summit on April 21, 2026.
- DICK’S plans to use Adobe Brand Concierge for mobile-app conversational experiences that act like digital coaches.
- The retailer is also using Adobe Experience Platform, Real-Time CDP, Journey Optimizer, GenStudio, Workfront, Experience Manager, and Firefly Services.
- This extends an existing Adobe relationship, as DICK’S was already a customer of Adobe Experience Cloud and Real-Time CDP.
Adobe said the partnership is designed to help DICK’S connect with customers, whom the retailer refers to as athletes, at every stage of the athlete journey. The core pitch is that athletes increasingly expect more tailored guidance and product discovery. DICK’S and Adobe say AI will help meet that expectation by turning digital interactions into more guided and intent-aware experiences.
The most concrete product detail in the announcement is DICK’S planned use of Adobe Brand Concierge. According to Adobe, DICK’S will use the tool to power immersive conversational experiences in its mobile app. These AI agents are meant to function as digital coaches, helping users move from discovery to decision with personalized product recommendations and tailored training tips based on athlete needs and changing preferences.
Beyond the app experience, Adobe says DICK’S is building a broader personalization layer using Adobe Experience Platform, Adobe Real-Time Customer Data Platform, and Adobe Journey Optimizer. The stated idea is to unify data signals from different athlete interactions, build more relevant audiences, and deliver content at the right moment across channels. Adobe also noted that AI-driven traffic to retail sites rose significantly during the 2025 holiday season, reflecting changing consumer behavior.
The announcement also covers content operations. Adobe says DICK’S will use GenStudio, Workfront, Experience Manager, Firefly Services, and Custom Models to streamline content creation, asset management, collaboration, and the production of on-brand variations for different marketing channels. This suggests the partnership is focused on scaling personalized marketing output alongside customer-facing AI experiences.
Importantly, this is not the start of the Adobe relationship. Adobe had already identified DICK’S as a user of Adobe Experience Cloud and Adobe Real-Time CDP in earlier communications. This positions the 2026 update as an expansion into AI-driven and conversational capabilities rather than a new digital transformation initiative.
What Did Stakeholders Say?
“Every athlete’s journey is unique, and it is our job to ensure that every interaction with our brand is focused on helping our athletes achieve their dreams,” said Emily Silver, Chief Marketing, e-Commerce and Athlete Experience Officer, DICK’S. “Our partnership with our technology team and Adobe will help us meet the promise of personalization at scale through AI.”
“From stores to online, from shopping to performance services, AI capabilities, powered by our deep knowledge of athletes and sport, are becoming the pillar of our strategy,” said Vlad Rak, Chief Technology Officer, DICK’S.
“DICK’S Sporting Goods is writing the playbook for the modern athlete experience,” said Rachel Thornton, Chief Marketing Officer, Adobe Enterprise.
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