Customers from all over attended, some even camping out overnight to be the first ones in the door.
Described as a “Dick’s Sporting Goods on steroids” by one customer, walking inside of a Scheels store feels like walking into an outdoorsy wonderland of chaos.
The newest Scheels store and the first in Arizona had its grand opening on Saturday, Sept. 30 and it was nothing short of eccentric. There was food, drinks, a ribbon cutting, drums and Sparky the Sun Devil.
One child even pointed out to me, “Look there are people paragliding in the air.” She was right, people were falling out of the sky for this occasion.
Savannah Bauer from Chandler had been waiting for the store to open with her family since 4 p.m. on Friday. They said they live just down the street and had been watching the construction and progress for months. They came to the grand opening to support the local Chandler community and pick up some sporting gear for the kids, take a ride on the Ferris wheel and look at the hunting gear.
Assistant store leader Joel Ossman from Rowley, Iowa moved to Arizona just to work at the Scheels. He said the store is all about giving customers a memorable experience.
With 75 specialty shops or sections, some of the items the store sells include sporting goods, shoes, clothes, firearms, archery, home decor, camping gear and toys.
“We’re just a big retail store with a lot of things in between,” Ossman said.
Employees are experts in what they sell, he said. If an employee loves shoes or running, then they're going to be selling that product.
So, you may be wondering what else the Scheels store in Chandler Fashion Center has to offer. I’m here to highlight the wildest, most interesting things the employee-owned store offers.
A 16,000-gallon fish tank
As you walk in the door of the Chandler Scheels, you are greeted by a 16,000-gallon saltwater aquarium archway containing about 600 different fish of unique colors and coral.
If you’re lucky enough you might even, see the professional scuba diving team that takes care of the sea life. They do it all while waving and posing for pictures.
A Ferris wheel in a sporting goods store?
As you walk past the gigantic aquarium archway, right in front of you in the middle of the store sits the eye-catching Ferris wheel. I know what you’re thinking. A Ferris wheel inside of a store sounds absurd, right? Well, not for Scheels.
The 45-foot Ferris wheel is open for adults and kids to ride for the cost of $1. There are 12 cars which each give you a bird’s-eye view of the store.
Games for people of all ages
If you hear the sounds of Pac-Man and think you walked into an arcade, don’t be alarmed. Scheels offers arcade games to keep your kids (or yourself) occupied.