BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT
By Angeline Grenz
Scheels is the indoor playland full of outdoor toys. The century-old company started in hardware, then moved to sporting goods, and somewhere along the way figured out that they could create an experience for visitors that combines retail therapy, entertainment, food, learning and more than a little bit of wonder for both adults and children.
ON THE JOB
Scheels in Johnstown is the 2nd largest store in their 27-store portfolio and the only one currently in Colorado. The 250,000-square-foot retail shopping experience opened on September 30, 2017, to an eager crowd. Within the store are 80 specialty shops ranging from custom bike fittings to fashion and home décor. Just some of the features of this store include a 16,000-gallon aquarium filled with over 600 salt water fish, a 65-foot-tall operating Ferris Wheel, a wildlife mountain full of taxidermied animals, a mini bowling alley, arcade games, running tracks, and even Ginna’s Café, which features a fudge shop as well as soups and sandwiches. The Colorado store also has the largest installation of SageGlass in North America. SageGlass windows are designed to control indoor temperature while optimizing the
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views. The glass can block up to 91 percent of solar heat, saving on heating and cooling costs. The Scheels’ family history is evident throughout the store, from their proud display of American-made goods, to statues of several U.S. Presidents, to family memorabilia. The history is rightly earned. The founder, Frederick A. Scheel, used the income from his first potato harvest to open a small hardware and general store in Sabin, Minnesota, in 1902. Over the years, Scheels continued to open hardware stores. In 1954, the family added a sporting goods section, and in 1972 they added shoes and clothing. Corporate offices are now located in Fargo, North Dakota, and Scheels stores have also opened in South Dakota, Wisconsin, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, Illinois, Kansas, Iowa, and Utah. Scheels largest store can be found in Reno-Sparks, Nevada. The company’s goal is to build or renovate one store a year.
TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS
The Northern Colorado site appealed to Scheels corporation because of its easy accessibility for shoppers coming from Denver and Wyoming. “Scheels really is a destination,” says Marketing Leader, Janae Burich, “people will travel an hour or more to come here…and this really helps to put Johnstown on the map.” The store employs approximately 375 associates. Each “boutique” within the store has its own manager/buyer and they have the flexibility to buy locally-made and Coloradomade products for their stores. The Johnstown store has the largest selection of sports, fashion, footwear and more under one roof in Colorado. Shopping spans two floors and includes menswear, women’s clothing, children’s clothing, shoes, sporting goods, fitness, a hunting department, firearms with a shooting range, and more. The average STYLEMEDIA.COM