SCHEELS: Worth the Drive?
The recently-opened Scheels at Eden Prairie Center Mall
When you live 45 minutes away from the nearest Target and 2 hours away from the nearest city with more than 3 dining options, simple shopping trips need to meet this basic threshold: Is it worth the drive? Honestly, this isn’t much different from when I lived in the Twin Cities, when the concern wasn’t so much the distance, but rather the traffic. In comparing the two experiences I’ve arrived at my own personal conversion metric: 10 minutes stuck on 494 = 1 hour of open road driving. This metric is actually pretty conservative from a mental well-being standpoint, as there tends to be far fewer expletives uttered during that 1 hour of open road than during the 10 minutes of 494 gridlock.
From a retailer’s perspective, understanding how far their customers are willing to travel to shop in person is one way to measure their value proposition, especially as ecommerce becomes faster and more convenient. Typically, people are more likely to drive farther distances for more infrequent purchases - big ticket items like appliances, furniture or exclusive brands. For us, the shopping experience itself becomes a key part of the equation.
Often our family tries to get the most bang for our buck by making a day or weekend of it, hitting several stores and punctuating the experience with exotic food like Chick-fil-A. There’s nothing like driving west into the sunset with the Mall of America in the rear view mirror while eating a spicy chicken sandwich.
Recently, we made the 90 minute trip to Eden Prairie primarily to visit a single store: Scheels.
If you’re not familiar with Scheels, it’s a Midwestern sporting goods retailer with about 30 locations. It started out as a hardware retailer but has focused on sporting goods since the 1980s and in recent years has put more and more emphasis on being a destination shopping experience.
The aquarium at Scheels Eden Prairie.
The recent opening of their Eden Prairie location definitely underscores that commitment to experience. Intermixed with merchandise are a variety of sights and activities for all ages.
The first eye-opening sight upon entering the store is a walk-under aquarium. This aqueduct-like construction has several clear fish-filled pillars that support on overhead trestle that visitors walk under as they enter the store. Guests can even time their visits to be present during periodic feedings.
The centerpiece of the store is the giant in-store Ferris Wheel. While Covid19 has rendered the wheel temporarily inactive, the sheer sight of it was enough to get the kids pestering us to know when we could come back. Spanning two levels, the Ferris Wheel offers a convenient way to spy a new winter coat on the 2nd floor whilst merrily spinning through the air.
Making our way to the aforementioned 2nd floor we were struck by the inclusion of an entire home goods section. Admittedly not as large or stylistically-diverse as what you’d find at a Target, it’s a clear indication that Scheels is looking be a destination for much more than sporting goods.
Olivia poses next to some whitetails.
Walking past the batting cages, bowling alley, shooting range, candy shop, cafe and golf simulator, we took some time to take in the faux mountain of wildlife. A range of lifelike big game, small game, fowl and at least 5 skunks were all peacefully inhabiting this monument to North American flora and fauna.
Lost amidst the spectacle is the fact that the product assortment allowed us to complete nearly all of our back-to-school shopping in a single trip. Shoes for the kids? Check. Backpacks? Check. Autumnal-hued attire for Kara? Double check. A new cozy hoodie for me? You bet.
While private labels don’t seem to be playing a large role at Scheels currently I wouldn’t be surprised to see the emergence of some category-specific owned brands to drive further differentiation and exclusivity. For now, destination retailing is the key strategy for Scheels, and, at least for our family, it seems to be working. Only when Covid-related restrictions abate will we be able to return and witness the firepower of this fully armed (did I mention the extensive firearms section?) and operational retailer.
Worth the drive? Absolutely.
Paul Bunyan and Babe wishing Chloe and Olivia farewell.