Okay, here’s my blog post about my experience setting up a sports store in Wenatchee:
So, I finally did it. I opened up that sports store in Wenatchee I’ve been dreaming about. It was a way bigger project than I thought it would be, honestly. Let me tell you, it was a journey!
Finding the Right Spot
First things first, I had to find a location. I drove around Wenatchee for, like, weeks. I checked out a bunch of different places. Some were way too small, some were in, you know, not-so-great areas, and some were just crazy expensive. I needed something that was big enough, had decent foot traffic, and, most importantly, wouldn’t break the bank.
Finally, I found this spot on, well I won’t say the exact street, but it’s close to that big park. It’s pretty good size, had okay parking, and the rent was something I could actually swing, even with having to do some renovations, and the landlord was nice, and that helped a lot.
Getting the Goods
Next up: getting all the stuff to sell! I spent hours online looking at different suppliers. I wanted to make sure I had a good mix – you know, stuff for baseball, basketball, soccer, the whole nine yards, get what I am saying?. Even some fishing gear, because, hey, it’s Wenatchee! I talked to a bunch of different reps, got some samples, and finally placed my orders. It was a bit of a gamble, hoping I picked the right stuff that people would actually want to buy.
Setting Up Shop
Once the stuff started arriving, it was chaos! Boxes everywhere! I hired a couple of local kids to help me unpack everything and get it organized. We built shelves, set up displays, and basically transformed the empty space into a real store. It took a lot longer than I expected, and there were a few moments where I thought I’d lost my mind, but we got it done.
- Unpacking the boxes, seriously, so many boxes.
- Figuring out where to put everything. (My back still hurts!)
- Making it look “sporty.” I even hung up some old posters.
Grand Opening!
Finally, the big day arrived! I was super nervous. I put up some signs, posted on some local Facebook groups. I wasn’t sure if anyone would even show up. But, people did! It wasn’t a huge crowd, but it was enough to make me feel like I hadn’t made a giant mistake. I even sold a few baseball bats and a couple of fishing rods! A win is a win right?
It’s still early days, and I’m still learning a ton, but it’s been an awesome experience so far. It’s a lot of work, but when I see people come in and find what they’re looking for, it makes it all worth it. I’m hoping that by this time next year, it’s gonna be the place to go for sports stuff in Wenatchee. Wish me luck!
