https://www.stltoday.com/busin…
SUNSET HILLS — Bass Pro Shops is coming to south St. Louis County.
The Springfield, Missouri-based outdoor retailer said Tuesday it would open its third location in the region at the corner of Watson Road and Lindbergh Boulevard, next to a tile store and a Longhorn Steakhouse.
The company already has a Bass Pro in St. Charles and a Cabela’s in Hazelwood, and a company spokesman said the new location would offer “greater convenience on the south side and beyond.” (Bass Pro bought competitor Cabela’s in 2017.)
The 75,000-square-foot expansion bucks the trend of other retailers closing brick-and-mortar locations to focus on online sales. Interest in camping and other outdoor activities has surged amid the pandemic as people look for safe respites from quarantine quarters. And unlike T-shirts or technology, experts say, outdoor equipment is something people still shop for in-person.
“People want to lay eyes on it and talk to someone that’s knowledgeable about it,” said Mark Kornfeld, managing director of retail services at Sansone Group, which owns the property to be developed. “And Bass Pro will tell you, even during the pandemic, in-store visits were not just as good as before, they actually increased.”
