Dick’s Sporting Goods has been open for a week and already its manager is feeling welcomed.
Manager Damon Stamoolis is enthused, too.
“We couldn’t be more excited to open the doors,” he said.
A steady flow of customers have passed through the doors, since a soft opening on April 1, in advance of a ribbon cutting today and a Grand Opening celebration featuring sports stars.
Dick’s will employ about 60 workers at the new store. They’ve already spent plenty of time there, stocking shelves, designing displays, basically setting up the 52,000-square-foot store from the floor up.
“Every associate has something invested in the store,” he said.
What sets Dick’s apart from other sporting goods stores is its customer service, Stamoolis said.
Dick’s is a full-time sporting goods retailer, featuring brand-name sports gear. It serves team and individual sports, including camping, water sports, fitness, cycling and racket sports.
It has speciaty shops, include a golf pro shop, with golf pro Steve Creekmore available for advice and fittings. It has a running specialist, a certified fitness trainer and certified bike technicians. Hunting and fishing licenses are sold.
The Renton store is Dick’s “prototypical layout,” he said.
This is Dick’s 447th store nationwide and the second in Washington state.
“We are very pleased that Dick’s Sporting Goods has chosen The Landing and Renton to open its second store in Washington state,” said Alex Pietsch, the administrator of the city’s Department of Community and Economic Development.
“Since IKEA chose Renton in 1994, we have proven that Renton is the place for destination retailers to locate in the greater Puget Sound region. Both IKEA and Fry’s Electronics operate their only Washington locations here,” he said.
Dick’s replaces the space once occupied by Joe’s, another sporting-goods store. Pietsch said it was “one of the highest performing stores in the regional chain.”
“We were saddened to see the store close as a part of its corporate bankruptcy. But, Dick’s will more than fill that void bringing shoppers from all over the region to the Landing’s other stores and restaurants and to Renton,” he said.
Dick’s Sporting Goods
WHERE: 915 N. Landing Way
WHAT: Grand opening celebration
WHEN: April 8-10, with a ribbon cutting at 7:45 a.m. today (April 8)
SPECIAL APPEARANCES: Saturday, swimming world champion Amanda Beard 1:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m. and fishing great Buzz Ramsey noon-2 p.m.; Sunday, Seattle Sounders/Band, Steve Zakuani, Brad Evans, Leo Gonzalez, noon-1:30 p.m., Trevor Storlie, Wright & McGill, Eagle Claw, noon-2 p.m., Jack Glass, 1 p.m.-4 p.m.
