New outdoor store set to open this fall in Tulsa

Tulsa is set to welcome its newest addition to the outdoor retail landscape: Scheels. Set to open on Oct. 19, this mammoth store undoubtedly will shake up the local outdoor gear market and provide a unique experience for hunters, anglers and any other kind of outdoor enthusiast.

The new location will occupy roughly 240,000 square feet of retail space and employ more than 400 employees in the Woodland Hills Mall, while housing “over a million products across 75 specialty shops” according to the company. For those of you who have never stepped into a Scheels (there are 33 now nationwide), please know that it isn’t just another big box store.

Three acres of potatoes were the seed for the first Scheels store in 1902. Frederick A. Scheel, a German immigrant, used the $300 he earned from that first harvest as the down payment on the first Scheels, a small hardware store in Sabin, Minn. Over the years, Scheels opened in surrounding communities including Fargo, ND., in 1930, where the corporate offices are located. Customer interest grew, and sports lines were added to the product mix.

When I first visited the Reno, Nev., location a few years ago, I was greeted by a 65-foot ferris wheel, a full saltwater aquarium and a wildlife mountain (complete with taxidermy). It struck me as more than just a place to buy fishing rods and hiking boots. It’s something of an outdoor experience in itself.

Later, they brought Scheels to The Colony, Texas, located in the Dallas metroplex just a few years ago. I have been there a number of times.

The arrival marks a significant development in the retail landscape of eastern Oklahoma. As many of you know, the Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World in Broken Arrow has long been the gold standard for those of us needing an outdoor retailer.

The question, of course, is what Scheels will bring to the table that’s new and different.

According to the company’s website, Scheels will offer a similarly wide range of outdoor gear and apparel as well as promises to offer expert advice and workshops for outdoor enthusiasts of all levels. The store will include a full-service bike shop, a bow and firearms service center and archery lanes. Golfers and baseball players will appreciate the Foresight golf simulators and a state-of-the-art HitTrax hitting bay.

Tulsa has made strides in promoting outdoor recreation and tourism, and Mayor G.T. Bynum has expressed his enthusiasm for the new Scheels. He told a local Tulsa television station that the move “is an incredible win for Tulsa …When you think about the jobs this will create and the people who will be coming from all across the region to visit our city because of SCHEELS, it’s just an incredible testament to the teamwork that went into making this happen.”

However, as we welcome a new outlet, I also remember the importance of supporting our local outfitters and guides. Many mom and pop shops across Green Country have deep roots in our community, and an intimate knowledge of our local landscapes. Nothing ever completely can replace that experience.

As with any outdoor retailer, big or small, the true measure of Scheels’ impact on our community will be seen in how it contributes to getting more people outside.

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John Kilgore is the former Greenleaf State Park manager. He can be reached by emailing him at jkilgoreoutdoors@yahoo.com.