Mall of America - Bloomington

[Didier]

LL Bean opens on the first floor of the former Bloomingdale's space today, and the mall is talking to "a really cool sporting goods store" about filling the last remaining Bloomingdale's floor some time in 2015.

http://www.twincities.com/shopping/ci_2 ... rly-filled

[mattaudio]

Oshmans?

[maxbaby]

Isn't Oshmans owned by Sports Authority now?

[Wedgeguy]

Oshmans was in the mall when it opened. On the west side 3rd floor where Best Buy now it.

[TommyT]

Oshmans was in the mall when it opened. On the west side 3rd floor where Best Buy now it.

Didn't they have a lot of really cool features where you could test their equipment? That's one of the stores I remember from going to the mall when it first opened and I was like 8.

[mister.shoes]

They sure did: batting cages, virtual driving range, etc. It was a pretty sweet store. I seem to remember seeing a Dodge Viper sitting in the autosports section, but I could be remembering that part wrong.

[mattaudio]

I remember that too. It was an awesome store when I was a young kid, before I loathed the mall.

[uptowncarag]

I am not sure how much square footage is available but a Scheels would do quite well here.

[TommyT]

I feel like Gander Mountain or Cabela's would be more of a destination store than a Scheels. IMHO.

[mattaudio]

Wasn't/Isn't there talk about a Bass Pro as a Phase II anchor? That would exclude a Cabelas and possibly a Gander IMO. And Gander might be able to squeeze into one floorplate of an old department store (but I doubt it) but Cabelas are usually much larger.

My guess would be something like a Dick's or a Sports Authority. Edit: Or a Sheels. Sheels is great, wouldn't have tons of LL Bean / Future Bass Pro overlap, and would largely take the same space as the original Oshman's when the MOA opened. But the Sheels I've seen (St. Cloud) are multiple levels and larger than a single Bloomingdale's floor plate.

[HiawathaGuy]

Wasn't/Isn't there talk about a Bass Pro as a Phase II anchor? That would exclude a Cabelas and possibly a Gander IMO. And Gander might be able to squeeze into one floorplate of an old department store (but I doubt it) but Cabelas are usually much larger.

Correct, Bass Pro Shop has a signed letter of intent with MOA/555 for Phase II. So I'd agree that I wouldn't think that it would be one of those competitors. But one never knows. They will literally be complete opposite ends of the mall (once built).

[mnmike]

I see Hoigaards is looking to expand..perhaps it will be them in the last Bloomindale's space.

http://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/n ... sorts.html

[uptowncarag]

One of these shops should go into the Sears space. Seriously, how much longer can they survive. That store can't be a destination at MOA.

[Nathan]

It's kind of silly to doubt that a mall wouldn't have two competing major stores. I mean the entire thing is chalk full of competitors. The mall should be concerned with filling it's vacant spaces and it's tenants concerned about their competitors. I mean they had Macy's Nordstrom and Bloomingdale's for a long time. Granted outdoor equipment has a more limited market, but not everyone spends Nordstrom or Bloomingdale's prices either.

[uptowncarag]

I would think this sporting goods store is going to be something that is not in this market. A destination store would get more business.

[Silophant]

But the Sheels I've seen (St. Cloud) are multiple levels and larger than a single Bloomingdale's floor plate.

The new (well, as of 2006) Scheels in Mankato is as big as St. Cloud's, but the original Mankato location was a single floor with a slightly smaller floorplate than Bloomingdale's. So it's not unprecedented to have one that small, but they've mostly been getting bigger and bigger, and it's not really likely (IMO) that they'd move into a place like MOA with a store smaller than their new standard.

[Wedgeguy]

But the Sheels I've seen (St. Cloud) are multiple levels and larger than a single Bloomingdale's floor plate.

The new (well, as of 2006) Scheels in Mankato is as big as St. Cloud's, but the original Mankato location was a single floor with a slightly smaller floorplate than Bloomingdale's. So it's not unprecedented to have one that small, but they've mostly been getting bigger and bigger, and it's not really likely (IMO) that they'd move into a place like MOA with a store smaller than their new standard.

The rents at MOA would probably keep Scheels out of there. Their store in EP is not that large. The Mankato and St. Cloud stores were built and design especially for them.

[fehler]

Sears is the best hardware store at the mall.

[uptowncarag]

But the Sheels I've seen (St. Cloud) are multiple levels and larger than a single Bloomingdale's floor plate.

The new (well, as of 2006) Scheels in Mankato is as big as St. Cloud's, but the original Mankato location was a single floor with a slightly smaller floorplate than Bloomingdale's. So it's not unprecedented to have one that small, but they've mostly been getting bigger and bigger, and it's not really likely (IMO) that they'd move into a place like MOA with a store smaller than their new standard.

The new store in the Apache Mall in Rochester is going to be bigger that both Mankato and St. Cloud.

[minnyapple]

Not sure if these MOA expansion webcams have been posted. I haven't seen them.

http://oxblue.com/open/mortenson/moa1c