SCHEELS breaks ground in Wichita; ready for spring 2023 opening

Construction for SCHEELS is underway. The retailer broke ground on Thursday in front of the old Sears space at the west end of Towne East Square. CEO Steve Scheel was present to help celebrate the big day for their arrival into the Wichita market.

He set a timeframe of March 2023 for the grand opening and noted that SCHEELS has never missed an opening date in the company’s history.

If you’ve never heard of SCHEELS, it is more than just a sporting goods store. It will be home to entertainment attractions, specialty shops and boutiques with 2 million different SKUs’s under one roof. During the groundbreaking ceremony, Scheel said Wichita will be home to 70 different specialty shops. Each specialty shop will have employees who specialize in those areas. For example, if you are looking to buy a custom-built bicycle for a triathlon, someone whose passion is cycling will be there to assist you. SCHEELS opening will bring 400 jobs to the 220,000 square foot, two-story space.

The one-of-a-kind retailer promises to be a destination for sports enthusiasts, outdoor explorers and shoppers seeking a wide variety of fashion, footwear and home goods. And if you need something to do, there will be plenty of attractions available such as a youth play gym, an aquarium, fudge shop, coffee shop, rollerball, and more. Unfortunately, the Ferris wheels you find in other SCHEELS stores will not be in Wichita. The space inside Towne East was too small to hold it, so it had to be nixed from the plans.

Wichita marks the company’s 31st location, with 29 existing stores and 1 scheduled to open this fall in Missoula, Mont. The company has also announced its 32nd location, opening Fall 2023 in Chandler, Ariz.

SCHEELS is also active in the community. They are strong supporters of the United Way and on Thursday, presented a check for $10,000 to donate to the Wichita Children’s Home.