Cabela's Fans Flock To Store's Grand Opening

May 16, 2008

Cabela's fans flock to store's grand opening

Shoppers drive from near and far to see the treasure trove of outdoor gear.


Cabela’s inspired a tailgate party Thursday. From left, Sarah Pearce, Brett Curran of Cape Elizabeth, Ben Towne of Saco, Renee Heath and Christie Cracolici of Westbrook (back to camera) take it easy in the parking lot.SCARBOROUGH — Attending the grand opening of a Cabela's store in Scarborough, the outdoor outfitter's first in northern New England, was worth an eight-hour car ride to John Laureijs.

"Once we found out it was going to open today, we knew we were going to be here," said Laureijs, who drove from Nova Scotia with his friend Peter Alex and their wives to be on hand for Thursday's opening.

"Hunting and fishing is what we do. We work so we can hunt and fish," he said. His wife, Janice, rolled her eyes at the unbridled devotion.

"It keeps them out of trouble," she said with resignation.

Alex noted that this Cabela's is close compared with others in the chain that he has visited -- in Kansas, Pennsylvania and Texas.

State and local officials hope Cabela's will be the kind of retail destination that will attract people to the state, and the hundreds of enthusiastic shoppers who showed up for the opening suggest that committed customers are eager to make the trip.

"Before this, all we ever saw of Cabela's was a catalog," said Rod Storer of Wilton, who seemed genuinely in awe of the majestic 125,000-square-foot building, its formidable log construction holding a treasure trove of gear.

Storer snapped pictures for family and friends back in Franklin County and paused in the entryway to admire the cavernous main hall.

"I'm taking it all in," he said softly, his eyes drawn to a large faux mountain, covered with trophy game from across the country.

Ben Towne didn't drive far, but he made an event of it regardless. Towne, who lives in Saco and teaches at the University of Southern Maine in Gorham, took the day off and showed up in the parking lot with lawn chairs, a cooler and a grill at 8 a.m.

That's right: Outdoors store tailgating.

"It's almost like it's a little bit of a cultish thing," said Towne, noting that he is a big fan of the store's outdoors equipment.

Cabela's does sell clothing and gift items, but its reputation is built on hunting and fishing gear, a broad product line that has earned it a loyal following.

The crowd that spilled into the store aisles at 5 p.m. Thursday included die-hard Cabela's shoppers and others glad to have another choice in outdoor equipment to help keep prices in check at L.L. Bean and the Kittery Trading Post, longtime Maine institutions.

Ollie Emery, who has been ordering from the Cabela's catalog since the early 1980s, said L.L. Bean doesn't carry the kind of hunting gear and fishing lures that he uses.

"Bean lost its way with my kind of people," said Emery, a former textile worker who lives in Mechanic Falls.

At an invitation-only preview Wednesday night, he bought a tree stand. His wife, Rose Emery, bought a Cabela's T-shirt.

On Thursday, they drove to Scarborough again so they could shop some more and witness the official opening, arriving four hours early to avoid the crowd.

"I've been waiting 25 years for this day," Ollie Emery said.

Officials braced for an overwhelming turnout, with signs on the Maine Turnpike warning motorists to be prepared to stop, and Scarborough and state police cruisers running emergency lights at points approaching the development.

The parking lot was full, but the crowd was manageable, listening patiently as Joe Castiglione, voice of the Boston Red Sox, welcomed the gathering.

Red Sox reliever Mike Timlin got a rousing ovation, but no louder than the applause given to Michael Waddell, the hunting guru who hosts sportsmen's programs on cable television.

He was a big hit for the Walton family, who took the day off from work and school and drove to the opening from Hookset, N.H.

"I almost started crying when I met Michael Waddell," said Rebecca Walton, a teenager.

Dan Walton said his wife, daughter and two sons are all dedicated campers, hunters and fishermen, so visiting a Cabela's is a major family event.

"It's like a whole mall, but just for hunting," Rebecca said excitedly.

Dan Walton looked admiringly through the glass cabinets in the Gun Library, where vintage and unusual long guns can cost several thousand dollars.

"These are the guns you just dream about," he said.

Although non-sportsmen may be unfamiliar with Cabela's, many who enjoy outdoor sports have been reared on Cabela's catalogs. Getting a store within driving distance is like getting to visit Santa's workshop.

"This is a working man's store," Herb Legrow said as he perused ammunition before heading off to buy fishing gear. "I'm like a kid in a candy store here."

The new store will "transform the way we look at the outdoors in Maine," said John Richardson, commissioner of the Maine Department of Economic and Community Development. "The people I see coming are average Mainers. This is a place to shop that has their interest at heart."

Kevin Adams, president and co-owner of the 70-year-old Kittery Trading Post, said his store and Cabela's carry a similar product mix.

He said Cabela's will lure more consumers of outdoor products to Maine, some of whom will also stop at his 100,000-square-foot store in Kittery.

"We're at the gateway," he said. "They have to come by us to get up to Scarborough and to Freeport, and we can only hope that they will stop by and experience what the Kittery Trading Post is about also."

There is plenty of room in the outdoor market for all three stores, said L.L. Bean spokeswoman Carolyn Beem.

"We're all competing for people's attention," she said, "and anything that gets people in the outdoors -- and away from the TVs, computers and the Internet -- is a good thing."

She added: "Competition is good for the consumer and the businesses. It keeps us all honest, right? We welcome them to Maine."

Author: DAVID HENCH, Staff Writer