WILLMAR -- Dunham's Sports is offering a wide array of sporting goods in a new 22,000-square-foot store that opened Friday at the Kandi Mall in Willmar.
Dunham's Sports was founded in 1937 as Dunham's Bait & Tackle in Waterford, Mich. The company has grown to 150 stores in 11 states and is one of the largest full-line sporting goods chains in the United States, according to the company's Web site.
"We're a full-featured sporting goods store. We carry a little bit of everything for any sport you could want,'' says store manager Arnie Goers.
He said that Dunham's is moving into towns that have populations of 20,000 to 30,000, such as Watertown, S.D., which is the store Goers had previously managed.
"That store is doing extremely well,'' Goers said. "This is a fantastic area for Dunham's to be in because of the avid hunters and all the lakes surrounding the Willmar area.''
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In the field and stream department, shoppers will find firearms, scopes, ammunition, handheld and car-mounted global positioning systems, deer cameras, hunting blinds, gun cleaning equipment and accessories.
Goers said the fishing department will be expanded. Much of the merchandise is now geared for ice fishing. Expansion is also planned in the baseball department.
Campers will find propane-powered stoves and lanterns, sleeping bags, coolers and other equipment.
The store also has selections in hockey, street hockey, tennis, racquetball, table games, bowling, darts and billiards.
Dunham's offers a variety of outdoor apparel for children, men and women, and has specialty shoes for many activities.
Scooters, skateboards and jumping ramps are found in the extreme sports section. The store also has exercise equipment ranging from treadmills, elliptical machines and stationary bikes to dumbbells, weight benches and racks, punching bags and boxing equipment.
Goers said the golf department offers a wide selection of bags, clubs and gloves. The store even has a hitting room.
"Several people have already hit the ball into a net to see what the club feels like,'' he said.
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Goers said the reaction of the public has been fantastic.
"It's been very positive feedback,'' he said. "Many comments come in that now we don't have to drive to St. Cloud for our sporting goods.''
