G.I. JOES celebrates its 54th Anniversary on April 2, 2006. The Anniversary comes on the heels of the opening of the Joes Outlet Store in Salem, Oregon, and less than a month prior to the opening of the new G.I. Joes store Tri-Cities, Washington.
The new Tri-Cities store, G.I. Joes 24th, will utilize 52,000 sq. ft. of a building located at 7011 W. Canal St., just off Columbia Center Boulevard in Kennewick. The building has been completely reconfigured and remodeled to accommodate G.I. Joes. Mike Murphy, manager of the new Tri-Cities store said, “Our stores feature easy-to-shop departments for specific sports and activities, and within those departments use kiosks and specialty shops, where needed, to give the customer the technical information or expertise they need and want.”
G.I. Joes CEO and President, Norm Daniels, said, “The Tri-Cities store signals our eastward expansion, which over the coming year will include new stores in Spokane, Washington and Boise, Idaho. We also anticipate opening a store in Redding, California, as well as several new stores in western Washington in the next 3 years. Were excited to be able to offer our unique combination of brand name merchandise, selection and excellent service to new customers in these markets.”
G.I. Joes is currently in the process of remodeling its Albany, Oregon store. The Albany store will feature expanded apparel and footwear departments; a new Sport Services department where customers can rent skis, snowboards, canoes & kayaks, or have their bike or winter sports equipment tuned up; new fishing & hunting departments with a professionally staffed service counter; an expanded display of sleeping bags, tents and other camping gear; and a staffed sunglass/watch kiosk offering great brands like Native Eyewear, Columbia, Smith and Nike.
G.I. Joes is taking steps to attract more female customers. Helping to do that is the new Joes Outlet store in Salem, Oregon, which consolidates sold-through-clearance apparel and shoes from all G.I. Joes stores in one location. This in turn gives the stores the space they need to keep seasonal apparel and shoe fashions current. It also allows the company to expand its selection of women-specific brands and products, such as Roxy®, Life is Good® and womens Under Armour® performance apparel to name a few.
G.I. Joes was recently inspired to change its logo tagline from “The Sports and Auto Store” to “Sports, Outdoor & More.” Alan Thacker, G.I. Joes Automotive Merchandise Manager, explains, “As the technology in cars, light trucks and SUVs has advanced, fewer and fewer owners are able to do their own mechanical work. With declining sales of repair parts for do-it-yourself mechanics, and increasing sales on racks and other accessories for people who use their vehicles for outdoor pursuits, we decided to change the tagline to better match up with the needs of our customers.”
G.I. Joes enters its 55th year with ongoing double-digit sales increases projected to continue through 2007. Sales for 2006 are on track to pass $235 million. With success comes a reminder of the importance of supporting the community. As such, donations from The G.I. Joes Foundation totaled over $700,000 over the last 4 years, with main beneficiaries being Oregon and Washington Boys & Girls Clubs, Special Olympics and the Childrens Cancer Association. The company seeks to be a leader in sports and civic sponsorships throughout the Pacific Northwest.
