Dick's Sporting Goods will host the grand opening this weekend for its new House of Sport store, only the third of such experiential stores that the company has opened in the country.
The 115,000-square-foot store that has taken the place of the old Sears at Ridgedale Center features a rock climbing wall, a batting cage, golf simulators and a new concept hockey shop with apparel and equipment.
"It is a great sports town. … Minneapolis has a great sports energy and we thought that the House of Sport would be a perfect fit," said Toni Roeller, senior vice president for Dick's Sporting Goods.
A 20,000-square-foot outdoor turf field and running track that will open in September. The field will offer open playing times as well as sports clinics and opportunities to be used by the community. During the winter, the field will be turned into an ice skating rink.
"What we want to do is understand how we can be the best hub for all things sports for the communities we reside in," Roeller said.
Dick's has worked on the concept for the House of Sport since 2018, and the importance of immersive customer experiences has continued to grow over the years, Roeller said. During the pandemic, there was an uptick in interest in outdoor activities like golfing which the House of Sport caters to. The Minnetonka store will serve as a testing ground of sorts for new experiences that could be incorporated into other stores.
Last week, Dick's reported its first quarter sales declined 7.5% compared to the same time last year when sales surged nearly 120% as consumer buying habits begin to normalize.
