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North Charleston goes fishing for Cabela’s
By Jessica Johnson
Contributing Writer
Just because Cabela’s announced a proposal to open its first southeastern retail center in Georgia doesn’t mean one won’t open in the Palmetto State.
“We are looking all over the country,” said James Powell, Cabela’s retail spokesman. “We are in a retail expansion mode.”
The company operates 14 retail centers across the United States and has announced plans to open 11 more this year. Cabela’s calls itself the largest direct marketer and leading specialty retailer of hunting, fishing, camping and related outdoor merchandise. Its retail stores become destinations attracting customers from hundreds of miles.
North Charleston Mayor Keith Summey has said publicly that the city is working on landing such a store at a North Charleston location.
A North Charleston location is possible, but for the time being, the only store the company is working on in the Southeast is the announced store in Adairsville, Ga., Powell said.
The Nebraska-based retailer announced March 22 that they would open the Southeast’s first Cabela’s destination store by fall 2007, depending on the outcome of a vote by the Georgia Legislature.
The 165,000-square-foot store would be located just north of Atlanta near Interstate 75.
The city of North Charleston is still actively pursuing a Cabela’s store but won’t divulge details. Representatives from area economic development groups said it is against their policy to discuss projects they might be working on.
North Charleston seems to fit the profile when looking at other Cabela’s locations. Local business parks have access to Interstate 26 and Interstate 526. And the city is situated in a metro area and close to the Charleston International Airport. According to the company’s 2005 annual report, the business looks to locate retail stores in metro locations, making it easier for customers to reach them.
Louisiana’s proposed Cabela’s site is near a Tanger Outlet Mall that draws shoppers of different types. North Charleston’s Centre Pointe, a development near the airport, will also become home to a Tanger Outlet Mall. Centre Pointe developers said they attempted to recruit Cabela’s two years ago.
“Now we don’t have the property,” said Bill Hantske, project manager.
Typically, Cabela’s wants 100 to 150 acres of room to create a theme around them. Centre Pointe has only 65 to 100 acres left, Hantske said.
The store’s annual report said that historically, Cabela’s purchases land around its store in order to develop complementary businesses, such as restaurants and hotels. The actual store site, Powell said, needs about 40 acres.
According to the annual report, the store often relies on an economic development package from local governments when opening a new store because of the cost involved in developing a center.
In some cases, local governments are allowed to own portions of the store. According to the report, Cabela’s has entered into agreements granting ownership of the taxidermy and diorama portions of its business to local governments as part of economic development packages.
Cabela’s report said it intends to open 11 U.S. stores in 2006 and 2007. The Georgia store makes 12.
But Powell said that number is not set in stone.
“We are not limited to a certain number,” Powell said. “We are limited more by what makes sense and putting stores where it makes sense and in a time frame that makes sense.”
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