New business opening in old Toys ‘R’ Us building next year
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IDAHO FALLS – Since Toys ‘R’ Us announced last year it would close all of its stores nationwide, many have wondered what’s happening with the Toys ‘R’ Us building in Idaho Falls.
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Al’s Sporting Goods, a full-line specialty sporting goods retailer based in Logan, Utah, announced Monday it is opening its third store inside the 30,000-square-foot-building in September of 2020.
“We love the market. We love the community. We have been looking at real estate options in Idaho Falls and Ammon for so many years. The right opportunity came up. We can’t wait to get the store open,” Al’s Sporting Good President Jason Larsen tells EastIdahoNews.com.
The Toys ‘R’ Us building is an ideal location in the heart of the retail district, Larsen says, which is why they chose this location specifically.
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Al’s Sporting Goods offers a wide variety of brands catering to the biking, hunting, camping and team sport crowd. They have gear from all the major brands, including Patagonia, The North Face, Vortex Optica, PrAna, and Adidas.
Larsen says the shopping experience is unlike any other sporting goods retailer.
“Believe it or not, people come to Al’s Sporting Goods on date night. We love retailing. We’re passionate about what we do,” Larsen says. “One thing that makes us unique is that we will partner with a number of vendors and do concept shops inside the store.”
There is often a Patagonia display inside the store featuring all kinds of Patagonia offerings. Partnerships with numerous vendors in every category are featured throughout the year, he says.
“If you engage in any sport, we will get in to price points and offer merchandise in an elevated tier of product that you might not find in a general sporting goods store,” says Larsen. “If you haven’t been to Al’s on Black Friday, you haven’t truly done Black Friday shopping.”
Al’s Sporting Goods first opened in 1921 in Logan, Utah and is the oldest full-line sporting goods retailer in Utah. A second location opened at University Place in Orem, Utah three years ago. The Idaho Falls store will be its third location.
The store will bring 75-95 new jobs to the area and is expected to open September next year. A specific date has not yet been determined. An opening date and grand opening celebration will be announced as the date gets closer.
“We just haven’t found anything that’s felt right until this, and we’re really excited,” Larsen says.
Al’s Sporting Goods will open at 2395 East 17th Street. Its hours of operation will be 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
