Sporting-goods giant Cabela’s will open a 75,000-square-foot store next spring in the former Mervyn’s store at Mesa Mall.
The addition will bolster Grand Junction’s position as a regional center, said Ann Driggers, president and CEO of the Grand Junction Economic Partnership, which worked with Cabela’s, providing information and advice.
“We definitely see it as a huge asset to the people of the West Slope and eastern Utah,” Driggers said. “It really builds on our regional hub position.”
Cabela’s will take possession of the former Mervyn’s early next month and is planning to open the new store in the spring, officials said.
The Mervyn’s location has been largely vacant for the past two years.
Cabela’s is headquartered in Sidney, Neb., and bills itself as the world’s largest direct marketer of hunting, fishing, camping and related outdoor merchandise.
“Colorado’s Western Slope is a prime location for a variety of outdoor activities, including world-class hunting and fishing, and Grand Junction is the gateway to everything Colorado offers,” Tommy Millner, Cabela’s CEO, said in a statement. “The area’s residents, as well as visitors to the region, are people who passionately enjoy their outdoor heritage.”
Cabela’s opening can’t come soon enough for Jackie Laumann and Beth Zanski, owners of Culinary Corner, which fronts on the hall leading to the old Mervyn’s. Today the space is occupied by the Halloween Bootique.
“I wanted (a retailer) that was not already on the West Slope,” Zanski said, because a business new to the area could draw shoppers from places such as Glenwood Springs, Rifle and Montrose, towns that have built shopping centers and landed national retailers in recent years.
Shoppers whom they once could expect to see regularly no longer frequent the mall, something they have noticed particularly in Saturday traffic, Laumann and Zanski said.
“Maybe some of those folks will start coming back,” Zanski said.
Cabela’s occupies the same market niche as Sportsman’s Warehouse, 2464 U.S. Highway 6&50, in the Grand Mesa Center east of the mall.
Officials with Sportsman’s Warehouse didn’t return phone calls immediately. The parent company emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy in August after shedding several stores and getting an infusion of cash from a California investment company.
The ripple effect from Cabela’s could spread beyond the mall, Driggers said.
“More people will come here because of Cabela’s, and then more people will shop in more locations across the community,” Driggers said.
The economic partnership acted only as a facilitator and did not offer any incentives to attract the company, she said.
Mesa Mall, which is owned by The Macerich Co., a real estate investment trust, is a “perfect fit” for Cabela’s, said Randy Brant, executive vice president of real estate for Macerich. “We hope this is the first of many opportunities to partner with Cabela’s to bring this strong brand to great real estate in communities we serve across the country.”
Cabela’s (NYSE: CAB) on Tuesday reported third-quarter earnings of $0.28, 10 cents more than analysts’ estimates of $0.18. Revenue for the quarter was $624.3 million, which compares to the estimate of $622.95 million.
Same-store sales rose 3.5 percent in the third quarter, the company said.
Email GARY HARMON
Comments
By Jessica
Nov 10, 2009 11:02 AM | Link to this
So my ? is..... where and how do we go about applying for the jobs with them is there a web site. Im a hunter myself and i do alot with the outdoors and i would love to work there. I cant wait to see it there we have to travle to come shopping we don't have anywhere to shop at. we come to grand junction alot just becasue of the town we live in. and there is not a cabela's close to us the closest one is 5 hours from us in Salt lake City, Utah. thats a long drive to go get what we need for hunting fishing camping ect. well please let me know if you know how to apply for the jobs.
By Hunters Wife
Nov 4, 2009 4:21 PM | Link to this
Having Cabela's in GJ will be awesome...so many people are so excited. I do think they will be good for the economy and a huge draw for GJ as a "regional hub"... OF COURSE they will. My husband will drive hours to get to the one in Sydney NE when we are visiting family on the front range. So everyone in western co will do the same to come here. How can that be bad for GJ restaurants, gas stations, hotels and other stores?? A retail job is better than no job...MUCH better than an 8% plus unemployment rate! Geez wake up complainers, be happy we are getting such a great store. I feel for Gene Taylors and hope they can stay competitve. They were GJ's hunting/sporting main stay years before Cabela's even heard of GJ. But times change...I hope they can keep up! Still- YAY CABELA'S!
By Hunter's Wife
Nov 4, 2009 4:05 PM | Link to this
Cabela's will be awesome. Everyone I know is excited about it and that includes a lot of avid hunters and outdoor sports men and women!! I think it's sad if Gene Taylor's can't make it...they have been a main stay in GJ for a long time...long before Cabela's put GJ on their radar screen. But that will be GT's challenge, to stay competitive as times change. I love local personally but I also welcome national stores like Cabela's. I sincerely wish Gene Taylors good luck but am SO excited for Cabela's! As far as Sportsmans...I did buy a gun there last year and got great service. Never had any problems with them except you can't seem to find ammo there..but I don't think that was their fault.
By TLC
Oct 29, 2009 2:40 PM | Link to this
I hate to break everybodys bubble, if you go to their website you will find their higher priced and Taylors or Sportsmens ever thought about being. And the jobs are nothing more than part time 9.00 hr.
By Slikrok593
Oct 29, 2009 8:01 AM | Link to this
I agree with HAPPY SPORTSMAN about Sportsmans Warehouse , the employees are not interested in helping customers. The only dept. there where I have been able to get help is in GUNS and that's because the employees are required to remain in that area.
However , I find the folks in Gene Taylors to be available and to offer good
information about their products . When Cabalas moves to Grand Junction , I hope that Gene Taylors can stay in business - but I'd like to see Sportsmans Warehouse
close it doors and go away !
I have shopped Cabalas in Nebraska and through their catalog : Cabalas is a
top-of-the-line company in everyway ! I am glad to see them come to Grand Junction !
By Local sportsman!!
Oct 28, 2009 9:35 PM | Link to this
Okay Happy Sportsman, first of all you seem to having lying as a habit. THERE IS NO CABELAS IN DENVER!!! Second if you need help while you are shopping at Sportsmens and can't figure out the easy layout of the store, stay home. And lastly, Gene Taylors has done way more for this community than a big chain store will ever do, including buying your affection with all of it's beautiful mounts and what not. Yes competition is good but be careful what you wish for! And good luck finding that Denver Cabelas!!
By HAHA!
Oct 28, 2009 7:24 PM | Link to this
HAHAHA THIS GOES OUT TO A HAPPY SPORTSMAN!!!!!!!! THERE IS NO CABELA'S IN DENVER!!! THIS IS THE FIRST ONE IN THE STATE!!!! GENE TAYLORS, JERRY'S OUTDOOR SPORTS, AND THAT OTHER ONE BY OLD NAVY....WHATS IT CALLED??? OH YA SPORTSMEN'S WAREHOUSE....ID START CUTTIN BACK ON YOUR EMPLOYEES HOURS SO YOU CAN STAY IN BUSINESS!!! WOO WOO!!! FINALLY A DECENT STORE COMING TO GJ FOR ALL THE TRUE OUTDOOR PEOPLE!!! I CAN NOT WAIT!!!!!!
By mid Colo sportsman
Oct 28, 2009 3:34 PM | Link to this
AWESOME!!!!!!!! As a mid state sportsman, I echo all the comments regarding Gene Taylor's, and Sportsman's Warehouse. I know I'll travel the 100 miles or so way more often to shop at Cabela's, and will also most likely stimulate local businesses by eating at established local restaurants, stay in local hotels, and be more likely to shop outside Cabela's for other items not associated with the outdoors, or that are not available in smaller communities surrounding GJ. I see this as a win - win for GJ, the local economy, and local businesses. It's a wake up call for the other outdoor sporting facilities to become price competitive, and work on service!!!!
By Thanks Gene
Oct 28, 2009 2:47 PM | Link to this
You are new to the area if you don't know about Gene Taylor's and what GT has done for GJ. Not sure how they keep the doors open here, but GT will always have my respect and thanks.
I would like to shop at Sportsmanęs, but they want to be political and at least here locally are very anti Colorado. Sportsmenęs has been a very negative influence here in Colorado for true sportsmenęs.
Cabelas has cool catalogs, and lots of stuff, bet they have some nice ball fields in Sidney too!
By DJS
Oct 28, 2009 2:26 PM | Link to this
To the last poster
In times like this, you should be happy a quality company like Cabelas is willing to invest money into our local area. Not only will there be employees that need to be hired (ie JOBS) but also construction at the location to make it suitable to their needs.....which means more local jobs! It will by far employ more than it will hurt. No other local business has what a Cabelas store has as far as inventory and services. They are a top notch company and one of the few that has actually made money this year. They dont sell baseball bats and ski equipment, they focus on outdoor/hunting equipment. I only see the sorry excuse of a store called Sportsmans being hurt here and by the way...they are not local either.
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