G.I. Joe's plans to open a new Kennewick, Washington store. The opening is scheduled for late April. The Kennewick store, G.I. Joes 24th, will utilize 52,000 sq. ft. of the former Wal-Mart store located at 7011 W. Canal St., just off Columbia Center Boulevard. The building will be completely reconfigured and remodeled to accommodate G.I. Joes.
G.I. Joes CEO and President, Norm Daniels, said, “The Tri-Cities, and Kennewick especially, have been high on our expansion list for a long time. We finally found the right size building to be able to offer area sports and outdoor enthusiasts our unique combination of brand name merchandise, selection and excellent service.”
Mike Murphy will transfer from Medford, Oregon to manage the Kennewick store. Murphy said, “Kennewick will follow G.I. Joes strategy of offering the best brands in every department and then completing the selection with better brands.”
“The G.I. Joes selection makes it possible for the advanced sports & outdoor enthusiast to find the expertise and technical gear they want, yet still allows the recreational or casual outdoor customer to find what they need and want,” Murphy added.
G.I. Joes separates its stores into specific sports and activities, and within those areas uses a specialty shop approach, where needed, to give the customer the technical information or expertise they need and want. Traditionally, a G.I. Joes store is configured in an easy-to-shop pattern around a central core, made up of name brand sporting goods and high performance apparel and footwear, plus seasonal sports shops.
Typical activities covered in a G.I. Joes store are fitness & training, running, hunting, shooting sports, fishing, camping, cycling and golf, as well as team sports such as lacrosse, football, soccer, baseball, and basketball. Joes carries high performance clothing from The North Face, Columbia, Nike, Under Armour and more. There is a Rack & Rig area with a focus on products and accessories for people who use their truck or SUV for outdoor pursuits. Joes sells and installs high quality automotive roof racks and carriers from both Thule and Yakima. The water sports department offers a great selection of kayaks and canoes for sale or for rent. The eyewear and watches sold at Joes focus on performance and design for specific outdoor activities. And finally, Joes maintains a year-round Sport Services Pro Shop, which offers winter and summer sports equipment rentals, plus maintenance and tune-up of skis, snowboards and bicycles.
Daniels concluded, “Kennewick is the first of 3 new stores we anticipate opening in 2006. We are presently in the process of remodeling our Albany, Oregon store, and this spring we will also be opening a Joes Outlet store in Salem, Oregon.”
