SCHEELS, Rochester, MN

When SCHEELS was ready to bring their world-class brand of quality, expertise and unmatched selection to the city of Rochester, Minnesota, Q&D was there to help.

Implementing the SCHEELS brand
Working alongside the design team of R.L. Engebretson (RLE) of Fargo, ND, Q&D helped evaluate and budget an existing retail shell, a former Sears store at the Apache Mall, for expansion into a flagship model hybrid. RLE’s design blends new structural steel expansion of the building and adds key SCHEELS brand elements such as the iconic peaked entrance, soaring open spaces, abundant natural lighting and elegant masonry exterior and interior elements. The store, a 144,000-square-foot retail entertainment experience, was constructed in just over 1 year, with some of the exterior work completed during a cold northern winter.

Retail means coordination
The Q&D team, staffed with SCHEELS construction experts from past projects, approached the project in the same manner as a ground-up flagship store, working diligently to find the best subcontractor team partners, coordinating early around cast-in utilities, working closely with SCHEELS to anticipate any changes based on market trends, and using quality assurance and control to ensure SCHEELS specifications were met and finish treatments were properly installed.

Managing the construction of a SCHEELS store requires extensive coordination with owner-direct vendors. Q&D, RLE and SCHEELS work together on each store we construct to create a register of fit-up work that requires coordination with the structure, systems and finishes. Coordination items for the Rochester location include specialty log finishes, concessions, games, simulators, premium vendors, large-scale displays, security, audio-visual specialties, phones, and IT.

Quality end result
The result of the team’s efforts are apparent in the quality level of the store. SCHEELS’ designers choose products and prepare details to reinforce quality standards. But a quality material installed poorly will not stand the test of time – which is why Q&D’s process of qualifying subcontractors and evaluating mock-ups of installed work help ensure standards are met.

Steel installation crews install the new iron to support the iconic SCHEELS front entrance.

This SCHEELS has its share of family fun!

Some areas get completed earlier so SCHEELS can start fitting out the store for retail activities concurrent to construction completion.

About the store
Today the Rochester store employs over 250 associates, experts and managers that make shopping at SCHEELS a world-class experience. The 144,000-square-foot retail shopping experience showcases the area’s largest selection of sports, fashion, and footwear under one roof. It features specialty shops ranging from technical running gear and the latest fashion, to spectacular hunting and fishing shops. The sport shoe, hiking boot, and casual footwear selection is the largest in Rochester. There is a World Class golf shop, bike shop, ski shop, canoe and kayak shop, and fishing shop. The gun and hunting shops have the largest selection of guns in Southeast Minnesota.

Special attractions include a photo booth, buck hunter arcade, a shooting gallery, and roller-ball mini bowling. Customers are also able to test their golf, soccer, hockey, baseball, football and basketball skills on the sport simulators. No shopping experience would be complete without tasty treats; SCHEELS’ fudge shop serves the best fudge anywhere and Starbucks® coffee. SCHEELS offers a complete Service Shop with services ranging from bike repairs and skate sharpening to ski/board waxing and racquet stringing.

Check out more of Q&D’s latest projects here.