Appealing to the "outdoorsmen and women who live the Cabela's lifestyle" in Texas, sporting goods retailer Cabela's (CAB +0.00%) announced this week that it will begin construction on a 42,000-square-foot Outpost store in Waco this spring, marking the fourth store to be opened in the state. Doors are expected to open in the fall.
The Outpost store design is Cabela's latest store format. Although best-known for its theme-park-style retail stores that are 150,000 square feet or more and go so far as to feature mountains and museums, the Outpost stores are designed for the greatest efficiency and convenience at approximately 40,000 square feet while still offering a rugged, outdoor feel that includes trophy wildlife displays.
The first Cabela's Outpost store was opened in Union Gap, Wash., last October, following a trend among other retailers like Best Buy, RadioShack, and even Wal-Mart that are moving to smaller footprint stores. Cabela's is placing the Outpost stores in markets with fewer than 250,000 people. It opened an Outpost store this week in Saginaw, Mich. It currently operates 41 stores across the U.S. and Canada with plans to open an additional 14 by the end of 2014.
