A sneak peek inside the new Scheels at Towne East, ‘Something that Wichita has never had’
After a two-year wait, it’s finally time for Scheels to open in Wichita.
On Saturday, the 230,000 square-foot, two-story store — part retail store, part entertainment venue — is opening on the west side of Towne East Square. Opening day, which will feature a big parking lot party before the doors open at 9 a.m., is likely to be attended by people who camped out overnight in the parking lot in tents and RVs, store managers say.
Scheels, a national chain based in Fargo, North Dakota, has stores in 13 states, and in July of 2021, it announced that Wichita would be home to its 31st. Over the past two years, Wichita has watched as the massive store took shape in the spot where Sear’s operated until it closed in early 2019.
On Wednesday, store managers offered a tour of the new Scheels, which will employ more than 500 people and will include a two-story candy shop that makes the whole store smell like fudge and sugar-roasted nuts, a cafe that includes a “beef jerky bar,” an arcade, a mini-bowling alley, a shooting gallery, a children’s play area, a mountain covered with re-creations of dozens of wildlife, and a saltwater aquarium just inside the front doors where shoppers can watch divers feed the tropical fish.
“I feel like Wichita is going to be excited about it,” said Tasha McKeever, the events coordinator for the store. “This is something that Wichita has never had. Maybe there have been businesses that have come in and had pieces of what we have, but we’ve really brought it all together.”
No, Wichita’s Scheels does not have an indoor Ferris wheel like the 8-year-old Overland Park store does — it was too expensive to retrofit the former Sears space with enough ground support to handle the ride. But it does have enough to see and do that the average first-time Scheels visitor spends three hours in the store, McKeever said..
“So for everybody that is going to experience it for the first time, make sure that you have a lot of time,” McKeever said. “Don’t come in and think you’re going to be here for 30 minutes and leave because you won’t. You’ll want to hang out with us.”
Besides the entertainment attractions, most of which cost a small amount to use, Scheels also is stuffed with a dizzying amount of merchandise. Yes, it carries sporting goods and equipment, but it also offers fashion and shoes for men, women and children beyond just athletic-wear. It has a whole section devoted to dogs, a home decor shop that also has furnishings, shelves filled with coffee by the pound, spices and rubs galore, a big toy department that carries Legos, Nerf guns and more, and what looks like enough insulated tumblers — including the coveted Stanley Quencher tumblers — to keep all of Wichita hydrated..
Though Scheels carries many premium brands, including Vuori workout wear that’s normally available only online, it also stocks more affordable items, McKeever said.
“We’re not necessarily a discount retailer, but a lot of people think we only sell extremely premium, and that’s not true,” she said. “We sell everything in between. You can find a $30 pair of jeans all the way up to a $130 pair of jeans and every price point in between. We pride ourselves on having something for everyone and options for everyone.”
What to do, see at east Wichita Scheels
What does a first-time customer need to see when visiting Scheels? The store offers so much, it might be hard to take it all in.
Here are some of the highlights:
Aquarium: Scheels is known for its aquariums, which are at the entrance of the stores and are big enough that divers frequently get in them to feed the fish while customers watch. Wichita’s aquarium, like many in the Scheels chain, is populated with fish from around the world, many of which have been adopted from Rainforest Cafe restaurants as they close.
For the first two weekends, divers will be in the tanks feeding the fish regularly. After that, people who want to see the divers in the tanks should visit at 6 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays.
Games and activities: Scheels has much more to do than just shop, so much so that many people decide to have their kids’ birthday parties at the store, McKeever said, and Scheels is okay with that. Among the activities the store offers is “rollerball,” which features what is essentially a mini-bowling alley with tiny bowling balls. People can play for $1. They also can try a carnival-like “shooting gallery,” where they use toy guns to shoot a giant stuffed bear, an old car and gas cans. Each game is $1, or players can get 8 games for $5.
For kids ages 2 to 11, the store has an enclosed play area with slides, an obstacle course and netted climbing equipment, similar to what would be found inside a Chick-fil-A restaurant. Scheels also has an arcade filled with a variety of video games, each of which costs a quarter to play. On the second floor, a small plane is set up, and people can sit behind the controllers and pose for photos.
Sporting simulators: Shoppers can try out some Scheels’ sporting equipment before they buy. The store has a small batting cage as well as a golf simulator where customers can test out clubs. Wichita’s Scheels also has archery lanes.
Dining: Scheels wants customers to stay awhile, so they have many places where people can get sustenance. Ginna’s Cafe in the back corner of the store offers a full line of espresso drinks, both hot and iced, as well as frozen frappes, smoothies and fruity iced tea drinks. A case inside of the cafe is filled with packaged sandwiches and yogurt parfaits to go, and a big bakery case offers cinnamon rolls, muffins, sweet breads and more. The cafe also serves hot pizza by the slice as well as hot sandwiches and wraps. The cafe is famous for its grilled chicken sandwich, McKeever said.
Additionally, the cafe has a beef jerky bar where people can get different flavors by the half pound. Options include honey jalapeno, teriyaki beef, peppered turkey, Korean barbecue, Cajun and more. The cafe has lots of seating, or people can get food to go.
In the center of the store is the two-story Fuzziwig’s Candy Factory, where customers can get candy in bulk and shop from a wide variety of novelty candies — gummy sushi, for example. It also serves store-made fudge and chocolate treats, including chocolate-dipped pretzels, Oreos and nuts, as well as giant caramel apples. Fuzziwig’s also has ice cream, and its specialty is its 2-pound sundae. The candy store menu includes many gluten-free snacks.
Wichita touches: McKeever said that Scheels likes to design each of its stores to reflect the community where it opens, and this one is full of tributes to Wichita. People can see a life-sized WuShock built from Legos, a large wall near the back of the store that serves as a tribute to Wichita State University, and a mural of the Wichita skyline. Lots of other little touches throughout the store reference the city’s aviation history, and Scheels sells lots of unique WSU merchandise.
McKeever said that Scheels always donates 8 to 10% of each purchase back to the local community.
Other tidbits:
▪ Scheels is animal friendly, so people can bring their pets — any pet — McKeever said.
▪ The store is still hiring and needs at least 100 more employees. McKeever said that the store needs so many employees, it will likely always be hiring people.
▪ The hunting section is decorated with lots of mounts — taxidermied deer and buffalo heads — that are on loan from local hunters.
▪Scheels will price-match merchandise
▪ The store sells swimwear year round, so people going on beach vacations in the winter will be able to find it.
▪ Each department is staffed with people who are experts in what they are selling, McKeever said.
▪ In the coming weeks, Scheels will start putting on lots of participatory events, like fashion shows and meet-and-greets with athletes.
Opening day activities at Wichita store
The Scheels opening-day festivities start in the store’s parking lot at 7 a.m. on Saturday — two hours before the doors open for the first time at 9 a.m.
Staff will be handing out treats from its Fuzziwig’s Candy Factory and coffee from its Ginna’s Cafe. The Kansas City Chiefs’ double-decker parade bus will be there, and the parking lot will also be filled with food trucks and bouncy houses. People even can take a turn on a mechanical bull.
Once Scheels opens, its hours will be 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sundays.
To see more photos from the store in Wichita, visit www.facebook.com/wichitascheels/
