Scheels to open mega-store in Kansas
Scheels is expanding its footprint in Kansas.
The all-sports retailer, known for its supersized stores that combine retail and entertainment, will open a location in collaboration with Simon at Town East Square, in Wichita. The 220,000-sq.-ft. store will open in spring 2023 after full renovation of an existing space. It will be Scheels’ second location in Kansas, joining one in Overland Park that opened in 2015.
Similar to the Overland Park location, Scheels’ Wichita outpost will feature 85 specialty shops, a restaurant and a variety of family-friendly attractions that include a wildlife mountain, rollerball and a candy shop. There will also be interactive arcade games and sports simulators.
Wichita will the company's 31st location, with 29 existing stores and one scheduled to open this fall in Missoula, Mont. The company has also announced its 32nd location, opening fall 2023 in Chandler, Ariz.
"We have been studying this market for several years and are excited to be part of the Towne East Square development,” Steve M. Scheel, CEO, Scheels. “We want to thank Simon for all the hard work and dedication bringing this project to life, and we look forward to working together throughout the building process.”
Scheels’ history dates back to 1902, when Frederick A. Scheel, a German immigrant, used the $300 he earned from his first harvest as the down payment on the first Scheels, a small hardware store in Sabin, Minn. It is now a 29-store operation with stores in 13 states, including North Dakota, Iowa, Minnesota, South Dakota, Montana, Wisconsin, Nebraska, Nevada, Illinois, Utah, Kansas, Colorado, and Texas.
[Read More: Scheels goes big with new store — complete with a Ferris Wheel]
Currently, Steve D. Scheel, the great-grandson of the founder, is the company's chairman. Great-great grandson Steve M. Scheel is CEO. Todd Anderson serves as president and oversees daily operations of more than 8,000 associates.
"Scheels is an exciting and dynamic, family-friendly brand that is a perfect example of the type of fresh, new experience Simon is known for cultivating," said Mark Silvestri, Simon's executive VP and COO for development. "Simon is delighted to welcome Scheels to Towne East Square and the entire region."