Sporting goods store opens
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Officials behind the opening of a new Dick’s Sporting Goods store near Morgantown, W.Va., say they are confident Pennsylvanians, especially people from Fayette County and the surrounding area, are willing to travel the 30 minutes or so it takes in order to shop at the new store. The sporting goods store will hold its official grand opening today; however, Jeff Hennion said the 45,000-square-foot store opened for business Sept. 28.
Hennion, who is senior vice president for Dick’s Sporting Goods chain, said management decided to open another location because other stores in West Virginia and Pennsylvania have been very successful and profitable.
“This area has been a great market for us,” he said.
The new store, located in a 35-store shopping plaza at University Town Center in Granville, W.Va., offers everything people have come to expect Dick’s Sporting Goods to offer, he said, noting that the shelves are stocked with exercise equipment, athletic apparel and outdoor accessories.
Jeannie Hoffman, manager at the new location, said the store has been busy since it opened last week.
“We’ve been doing really well, and we’re really happy with the amount of business we’ve been doing,” she said. “The customers seem very enthusiastic and glad we’re open.”
Hoffman said she expects the store to be “extra busy” during the grand opening, which will begin with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 8:30 a.m. She said doors will open at 9 a.m.
The first 200 customers, according to Hoffman, will receive a $10 Get-Go gas card, while the first 500 customers will receive a free Adidas T-shirt bearing the Dick’s Sporting Goods logo.
In addition, Hoffman said a $1,000 shopping spree will be raffled off all week up until Friday, with the winning entry being pulled next weekend.
As for other entertainment, Hoffman said the Dixie Land Band will perform at noon today. There also will be clowns and balloons for children.
The West Virginia University mascot and cheerleaders will make an appearance at the grand opening, from 1 to 3 p.m., as will the Pittsburgh Penguins mascot.
“We’ll have a lot going on that day,” Hoffman said.
Dick’s Sporting Goods has three other stores in West Virginia and 12 stores in the Pittsburgh area. In all, Hennion said the sporting goods chain has about 250 stores in 34 states across the country.
Phil Sullivan, construction manager for Interstate Development, the company that owns University Town Center, said the parking lot in front of Dick’s has been full since it opened. “There’s a lot of cars in the lot, and that’s always a good sign,” he said.
He said the next three big stores to move into the plaza, located off Interstate 79, will be Old Navy, Bed Bath & Beyond and Goody’s Family Clothing.
Old Navy, according to Sullivan, is scheduled to open Wednesday.
“We have a lot of Fayette County shoppers here,” he said. “I couldn’t give you a percentage, but we have a lot of people coming down to shop.”