The remodeled and rebranded Dick’s Sports Goods store – now called Dick’s House of Sport – is all about “wow moments.”
Those moments come when people see the new climbing wall, batting cage, the latest sports gear and many other features in the Davenport store.
“The store is full of wow moments. … It’s beautiful and modern,” said Avery Owens, community and events manager for Dick’s, as she gave the QCBJ a tour of the updated store Friday morning, July 21.
She added that some of those “wow moments” can even be seen in the many mannequins on display in the store. Unlike many other store mannequins – that often passively show off new clothing and fashions – these figures appear to be ready for action and in a frozen state of playing many sports.
“These mannequins are moving, they’re jumping. You can see how they look with the gear on,” she added.
Thousands of people got to experience those mannequins and other “wow” features at Dick’s House of Sport, 5250 Elmore Ave., Davenport, Friday morning, July 21, during the store’s grand opening celebration. (The store site in Elmore Avenue was closed for several weeks during the remodeling and rebranding work.)
The new House of Sport, which employs about 120 people, had a soft opening on July 12. Friday’s grand opening featured numerous giveaways, in-store specials and autograph signings by big-name athletes. For instance, former NFL player Devin Hester is scheduled to visit and sign autographs at 5 to 6:30 p.m. today. (Wrestling champion Spencer Lee and Olympic gold medal winner Shawn Johnson East are scheduled to sign autographs on Saturday.)
The first person in the long line to get into the sports gear store said he was hoping to get Mr. Hester’s autograph.
“I’m really looking forward to meeting Devin Hester. … I’m also looking for some shoes and maybe a Yeti cooler,” said Brandon Flores of Houston, Texas, who added that he had been in line since about 4:50 a.m.
That line of customers, which contained about 200 people when the store opened at 9 a.m., wrapped around much of the store and parking lot.
At one point, the last person in line was a man who only gave his name as Todd. “I took the day off from work to see what’s happening here. … I also might get some shoes,” the man said.
The excitement of grand opening day was also seen in the Dick’s House of Sport workers. Shortly after a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the store on Friday morning, Todd Steinhart, executive director of House of Sport, called the event a wonderful day for the company and community.
“This has been great. The community support for us has also been great,” he added.
House of Sport also showed support for the community by donating thousands of dollars to four local organizations during Friday’s ceremony. The company donated $75,000 to the Quad Cities Youth Sports Foundation. Also, three groups each received donations of $5,000. They included: First Tee Quad Cities, Sports QC and Black Hawk Area Special Education Phoenix Program.
“We’re all here for the same goal – to serve the athletes of the Quad Cities,” Ms. Owens said before the check presentations.
Serving local athletes was also on the minds of the many store employees Friday morning. Sam Jacobsen of Davenport, a golf associate in House of Sport, was busy with last-minute details before the store opened. He said he was getting ready for a busy and exciting day.
“I’m really excited about all this. We’ve spent so much time setting it up. … It’s good to see it come to life,” he added.
Dick’s website describes its new House of Sports brand this way: “It’s more than a store. It’s an experience. From baseball to yoga and wrestling to lacrosse, no matter how you stay active, we want to help you reach the top of your game. Not only do we have the top gear you need to perform your best, but we have also created an interactive space where you can find inspiration and practice your skills. We create an inclusive environment where passionate, skilled, and diverse teammates thrive.”
Currently, Dick’s operates three House of Sport locations in Rochester, New York; Knoxville, Tennessee; and in Minnetonka, Minnesota. There are plans for perhaps 100 more House of Sports locations in the coming years, according to retaildive.com.
Dick’s Sporting Goods plans to open as many as 75 to 100 new House of Sport stores over the next five years, Lauren Hobart, CEO of the Pittsburgh-based retailer, said in a recent news release.
“House of Sport will be a significant part of our future growth story,” said Ms. Hobart in the release. “Over the next two years, we plan to open around 20 additional locations, including downtown Boston and our two hometowns of Pittsburgh and Binghamton, N.Y.”
