Scuba Divers, Ferris Wheels And How Scheels Has Gone Big On Sports

Late last month, tens of thousands of people showed up, with some even camping overnight, to see the latest Scheels sporting extravaganza open at an Arizona mall.

Suffice to say that Macerich’s
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Chandler Fashion Center in downtown Chandler has never before seen anything like it, but then again how often do you get to watch scuba divers feed 600 fish in a 16,000 sq ft saltwater aquarium while perusing the latest golfing goods?

Or decide to get a better view of a store by taking a $1 ride on its central, 12-car, 45 ft. Ferris wheel?

Now famous for stores that feature larger-than-life attractions and entertainment, Scheels has taken big box sports retailing the whole nine yards.

Its improbable rise to a 32-strong megastore chain focused primarily in the Mid West has been a long time coming. The company traces its foundations to a three acre potato field, where German immigrant Frederick A. Scheel used $300 earned from his first harvest in 1902 as down payment on the first Scheels, a small hardware store in Sabin, Minn.

Over the years, Scheels opened in surrounding communities including Fargo in 1930, where its corporate offices are still located, and sports lines were added. The employee-owned, family run company counts the founder’s great grandson Steve D. Scheel as chair, and great-great grandson Steve M. Scheel as CEO, overseeing Scheels’ 10,000 associates.

Scheels In 14 States

The company’s portfolio of 32 stores now spreads across 14 states including North Dakota, Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, Wisconsin, Nebraska, Nevada, South Dakota, Illinois, Utah, Kansas, Colorado, and Texas and, with its most recent opening on Sept. 30, Arizona.

The store debuted in a spot vacated by department store Nordstrom
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, but at an enormous 250,000 sq. ft. is 100,000 sq. ft. larger than the anchor it replaces, and features a wide variety of family-oriented entertainment including a Ferris wheel, 16,000-gallon saltwater aquarium, a wildlife mountain, Fuzziwig’s Candy Shop, Ginna’s Café, as well as arcade games and sports simulators, plus 75 specialty stores.

“Scheels is a fantastic fit for shoppers across the entire state of Arizona who are visiting not only for the incredible selection of sporting goods, but also for exceptional family experiences — including the famous in-store Ferris wheel,” Bob Beffa, SVP, real estate, Macerich said of the opening. “Scheels is part of Macerich’s regional town center strategy to give our shoppers more than just traditional retail. It’s about giving more people more reasons to spend time at our top properties.”

Scheels Keeps Going Big

For its part, aside from creating sporting megastores, Scheels has been active promoting its brand through arena sponsorships and most recently began construction of a major sports complex in Springfield, Illinois.

The Scheels Sports Park at Legacy Pointe, on the city’s south side, is expected to open in 2025 and will feature indoor and outdoor playing surfaces for a variety of sports, including baseball, softball, volleyball, basketball, soccer, lacrosse, and pickleball.

An indoor air-supported dome, expected to be one of the largest in the world – of course it will be – will host indoor sports.

By Fall 2024, Scheels will have grown to 34 stores, with a 240,000 sq. ft. store planned for the Woodland Hills Mall in Tulsa after demolition and expansion of an existing space.

However, by then it will be under a new CEO, with Steve M. Scheel set to retire and step down in January 2024, concluding a 35-year tenure with the company. A successor for Scheel has been chosen, however the company has not publicly announced his replacement.

Whoever they are, they had better have big ambitions and maybe a wet suit.