Exploring the World's Biggest Sports Store, NV
Activities, Exhibits Make Commercial Venture a Tourist Attraction
Oct 31, 2008
On the north side of U. S. 80, the transcontinental highway that stretches from California to New York, there’s a Nevada attraction that shouldn’t be missed. Why? Because the world’s largest sporting goods store offers far more than merchandise.
History
Scheels is the 23rd in the chain of stores which began in 1902 when German immigrant, Frederick Scheel opened a hardware store in the small village of Sabin Minnesota. In a decade or so, the store relocated in Fargo, North Dakota, just a few miles away. Now stores – none of them less than 100,000 square feet in size -- are located in Nebraska, Iowa, Wisconsin, Minnesota, South Dakota and Montana as well. The Sparks store boasts 248,000 square feet of floor space.
Indoor Wonders
Inside the gigantic sports emporium lie wonders calculated to evoke oohs and aahs, and induce customers to spend their money – not necessarily on products for sale, but on the amusements. There’s a 65-foot high Ferris wheel with 16 custom-painted cars and brilliant light outlining the spokes and wheel rim ($1 per ride), two small product-related “museums” (North Face and Gary Fisher Mountain Bikes) and a “Wildlife Mountain” populated by more than 200 taxidermist-mounted animals from all parts of the world. A total of 300 stuffed animals are on display in the store, so it’s not a pleasant place for people concerned with animal rights.
Other attractions include an archery shooting lane, a batting cage, a laser shot simulator and a “ “brag board” for fishermen, not to mention an interactive response shooting gallery with more than one hundred reactive targets ($.50). The Nascar Simulator is a three-car setup that costs $9 per driver and $2 for a passenger or $10 for a driver and passenger. Spectator events include fish feeding at the saltwater tanks daily at 2 p.m. and at the freshwater tanks at 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday (Sunday, 4 p.m.). Events on the monthly calendar include celebrity meet-n-greets, autograph signings, fashion shows, product demonstrations and programs, such as an October 2008 presentation by Animal Ark, a wild animal sanctuary north of Reno.
Competitions and Clubs
Competitions are also part of the merchandising plan. An example is the November 2008 Golf Simulator tournaments held each week, with top ten weekly scorers advancing to the championships. Entry costs $10 for three-hole play on the Golf Simulator, while non-tournament simulator play costs $15 for half an hour on the driving range, $5 to play three favorite holes and $60 for a foursome round of two hours.
The Scheels running club meets Thursday nights at 6:15 for group runs, and participants are provided with maps showing three-, five-, and seven-mile routes. There’s also a bike club for cyclists who like to ride en masse.
Since among the behemoth store’s 85 different “specialty shops,” one is “for every size of kid.”, it’s not surprising that there’s a children’s club as well. Kids Klub events include sports-oriented programs such as “Learn Fishing Basics” and special occasions are marked by treats like free Ferris wheel rides and candy on Halloween.
Scheels, located on I-80 about 20 miles east of the California state line (take the Sparks Boulevard exit), is open 9 a.m.– 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m.– 6 p.m., Sunday.
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