Thousands of hunters, outdoor enthusiasts, and curious shoppers turned out for the opening of the new Cabela’s at the Christiana Mall on Thursday.
The company’s first store in Delaware features 110,000 square-feet of retail space and has employed about 250 workers, most of whom are from the state.
Inside, customers are immersed in an rural, outdoor atmosphere, with over 225 mounted animals, a large mountain replica, two 8,000 gallon aquariums, and an indoor archery range.
Cabela’s Communications Specialist Nathan Borowski says that the Christiana location was a logical expansion for the brand.
“We knew we had thousands of loyal customers in the area already through our catalog and online sales, we were able to pinpoint that we did have a strong customer base here," said Borowski. "Add in the draw of the tax-free [shopping] and the Christiana Mall right across the street, we definitely expect [this location] to be a strong store.”
The Christiana location is expected to serve a large area of customers as the second closest location was in Hamburg, Pennsylvania, over 80 miles from Christiana. From there, the next closest location is in Connecticut.
"We expect customers to come up from the Baltimore area, from Philadelphia, and all across Delaware," said Borowski. "We knew we had customers in this region that were making the drive to our Hamburg store, so we were very excited to bring them a store, not only to create the jobs, but to start providing for the customers that were making that long drive to Hamburg."
Cabela’s is expecting about 4,500 customers to come to the new location on opening day, some of whom braved the rain and camped in the parking lot the night before.
Borowski says that what gets people excited and keeps them coming back is the unique in-store experience linked with their employee's shared love for the outdoors.
We really instill that passion with our new outfitters, they’re knowledgable and passionate about the outdoors," said Borowski. "Customers can come in and speak to somebody who has the same passions that they do, about the products, and even just about where the fish are bitting."
With special family activities and give-aways planned for the weekend, Borowski expects similar attendance numbers over the next few days.
Cabela’s operates 51 stores in the US and plans to open another 22 over the next two years.