DICK’S House of Sport is now open at the Minnetonka, MN Ridgedale Center, and you’ll want to check it out ASAP.
THE FACILITY
As you walk in, you’re greeted by a large Jumbotron screen above you that broadcasts both local and national games and sporting events. You’ll first notice how bright, open, and airy the store is – something we’re never felt at any other sporting goods store! Your eyes are then drawn to the large center display that changes seasonally with the fall’s best athletic wear and products.
Immediately to your right is a large service desk that is the perfect one-stop shop for all sports services such as bike tune-ups and repairs, ice skate blade sharpening, baseball glove steaming, and tennis racket restringing. If you have equipment that needs something fixed or tuned, they make it quick and easy to drop off and pick up right inside the store with an impressive one-day turnaround time.
Since this new store concept is only the third such implementation in the country for DICK’S (only others being in Rochester, NY and Knoxville, TN), the store is physically much bigger than your typical DICK’S Sporting Goods store. It is a large 2-story design (over 100,000 square feet!) with a tall rock climbing wall at the back of the second level that is easily apparent upon entering the storefront. The upstairs of the store is huge, with loads of apparel and a massive wall of footwear, the largest of any DICK’S store (with more than 2,400 customer choices). Downstairs is massive as well, which includes the newly implemented House of Cleats, and the golf center. The downstairs of the store will also lead to a 20,000 square-feet outdoor sports field once completed this fall.
THE COMMUNITY
House of Sport is designed with the community in mind. For example, the business invites local teams to come in and participate in various clinics, such as track and field or hockey. There are fitness and activity classes to sign up for as well like informational sessions and consultations with local wellness experts, and early morning yoga sessions (4 classes coming up in June, see schedule and register here!).
DICK’S also has started partnering with local brands to sell in store. The most recent addition is Honour Coffee and Juice. Throughout the facility, it’s obvious they care about being involved in the community. From the local brands all the way down to the wall graphics of local sports teams and top hiking destinations (shoutout to Oberg Mountain over by the rock climbing wall), you can feel how connected it is to Minnesota.
THE EXPERIENCES
Speaking of the rock climbing wall, it is a whopping 35 feet tall of fun! We were able to do some climbing during our visit and it definitely has our stamp of approval! Most of the routes (different paths that lead to the top of the wall) are swayed more towards beginner-level climbing, which makes it a great wall to try out if you’ve wanted to be introduced to the sport, but other routes have the size and features to give even experienced climbers a challenge. To top off our climb, the staff who helped us, Marty, was so awesome and friendly. You can make reservations to climb either online or in store.
Throughout the store there are specialized areas you would expect from a sporting goods store such as outdoor gear, equipment for every sport you can imagine, and apparel. The thing, however, we found that set House of Sport apart from other stores we’ve been in is the sheer number of experiential areas that have been incorporated into every area in the store. You can’t go far before being intrigued by the next experience opportunity.
Co Lab
Another great rotating space is Co Lab! Co Lab is a Pop up store style collaboration space. It currently features Hoka, as a 5k will be hosted in July at this House of Sport location in partnership with the brand!
House of Cleats
As you walk down the stairs, you’ll find a new area called House of Cleats. In this area you can try on hundreds of cleats to make sure they fit and feel the way they should. Trying on a pair of cleats is no longer the same experience it used to be when you try them on here – from the loud cheering and game sounds coming from above to the detailed real turf and bleachers, it’ll feel like you’re prepping to go out on the field.
House of Skates
But the excitement doesn’t stop at cleats. You’ll have a similar experience trying on hockey skates in the House of Skates. This is the first and only DICK’s specialty hockey shop and onsite ambassador. You also can’t miss the display of hockey goalie helmets painted with Minnesota themes by local Minnesota artists.
TrackMan Simulators
Another fun in-store feature Eric got to try out was in the golf center. House of Sport has an expansive golf section that includes a huge selection of all the biggest golf brands in apparel and equipment. It also has three TrackMan golf simulator bays. Eric tested out his swing while the on-staff PGA pro used the simulation equipment to track metrics such as face angle, ball trajectory, stance, and follow-through. The technology available at the TrackMan simulators can even track your body and club using the same motion capture technology used to film Hollywood movies (yes, you even get to wear the brightly colored sensors all over your body!). These hitting bays are rentable either online or in store, whether you just want to practice some drives or want to sign up for a clinic with a pro, it was definitely a fun and unique experience.
HitTrax for Diamond Sports
In the diamond sports area, you’ll find a huge selection of bats and gloves for all levels of experience for both baseball and softball. If you’re testing out a bat, utilize HitTrax! HitTrax allows you to choose what stadium you’d like to test at, then you can test your swing with your new baseball or softball bat and practice your swing on a tee, or, even better, this location also has the option to pitch the ball to you.
The Field
The Field will be a great addition to the store once completed in Fall of 2022. It will be a year-round sports facility, including a turf field made from ocean plastics and an Olympic grade running track. This space will be used for events and programming (i.e. baseball/softball training, yoga classes, fitness boot camps, youth soccer clinics, community gatherings). In the winter, since the Field is open air, it will be converted to a large ice skating rink. There will be a professional sound system, lighting, fencing, scoreboard, and the ability to divide into two distinct playing areas.
Footwear Deck
In the upstairs Footwear Deck, there is another unique feature in this space (which, did I mention, alone is 7,000 square feet?) where you can request your size by simply scanning a shoe and a ‘team member’ will promptly bring them out for you! When testing out, for example, running shoes, go for a test run on specialized treadmills that track your gait and whether the shoes fit correctly for running. The amount of footwear selection is staggering, over 2,400 choices, and DICK’S has all the top running brands like Brooks, Nike, Adidas, and Hoka as well as a dedicated basketball section for Jordan brand.
THE CLOTHING
Actually, let’s talk about the mannequins first. There are ~750 mannequins throughout the store that represent all body shapes, sizes, and abilities. It was a breath of fresh air to learn that all types of people are represented.
And while there are many clothing brand sections throughout the store, DICK’S House of Sport has three brands that stand out as their own.
The first is Calia. Calia is an exclusive brand to DICK’s and has a great variety of apparel for all fitness types and and lifestyles. It’s a women’s private label brand that includes swimwear, golf, and a maternity section. As someone who loves golf apparel, Elissa was excited to learn that this House of Sport listened to consumer feedback and has created the largest selection of women’s golf apparel.
The second brand is VRST. VRST is also a private label brand only found at DICK’S and has a great and versatile selection of workout and casual apparel just for men.
The last is DSG. This brand is made for the entire family, and is noticeably an inclusive and affordable brand for the whole family. Something we really admire about DSG is that 1% of every purchase of this brand goes to the DICK’S Sporting Goods Foundation for youth sports.
You can also find sections dedicated to other large brands like Carhartt, Nike, Columbia, Cotopaxi, and more.
There’s even an experience to be had if you’re trying on clothes! The employees here are so helpful and nice, they are available for anything you may need. To try on clothes, visit one of their social fitting rooms and add your name to the fitting room door. Soon after, someone will stop by to begin assisting you with sizing, getting you new styles, and giving suggestions.
THE END
In our opinion, DICK’S House of Sport is putting an end to the traditional, boring shopping experience. To shop here is an adventure and an experience not to be missed. See you at the Grand Opening!
So exciting!
What an awesome article!! Nice work!! I can’t wait to check it out!!
I want to try that climbing wall!
Wow, the store looks great! I can’t wait to go there and explore!
It looks awesome! Can’t wait for our next trip to the cities!
Wow! This looks so awesome! Makes me want to go check out DICKS store!
Ahhh I wanna go! I’ve been needing some new hiking clothes.