Sporting goods superstore opens

Similar to the way it recycles sporting goods, Play It Again Sports is recycling an old movie theater for its new location.

Franchise owners Jeff Newlin and Jeff Salyers have moved their new and used sporting goods retail store into the space previously occupied by the Fremont Theatre, 1300 E. Battlefield. The new store is 11,000 square feet more than twice the size of the old and the largest of all 564 Play It Again Sports stores worldwide.

The Play It Again Sports chain specializes in buying, selling and trading new and used sporting goods.

Their previous location was next door to the Wal-Mart on South Campbell. Newlin said that Wal-Mart asked them to leave so they could go through with plans for a new Wal-Mart Supercenter. It was easy to comply with Wal-Mart's demands, added Newlin, because they had been planning to leave for the past six months.

"We wanted to expand anyway and there wasn't a whole lot out there in the 6,000-10,000 square foot range available," Newlin said, referring to how they landed in the former theater space.

They closed the old store Oct. 15. The grand opening for the new store was held Nov. 1, after nearly two months of renovation and infill.

The remodeling consisted of removing all interior walls, seats and screens and leveling the theater's sloped concrete floor.

Not only is the new Play It Again Sports the largest of the 564 stores, it also is in the top five in volume of merchandise.

"It's the only one with a full custom golf shop and a professional-style batting cage," added Newlin.

Salyers added that the two- story, 1,500-square-foot golf shop will feature a computer-analyzed golf swing machine and the batting area will offer a winter hitting league as well as a professional hitting instructor. He said that both team and individual sessions will be available for all ages, but primarily high school and Little League players will take advantage. Ron Hurba, hitting coach from Show Me Baseball in Branson, will run the clinics.

The extra space also will allow more room for fitness machines, provided by Springfield's Mad Bear All-Fitness.

"We ended up joining forces with them (Mad Bear)," Newlin said.

He added that the Mad Bear All-Fitness store will remain at its South Campbell location and will continue selling high-end fitness equipment.

While used sporting equipment is Play It Again Sports' focus, Newlin said that new goods comprise 70 percent to 80 percent of sales.

"It (used equipment) is a big part of our business and that's the whole concept of our business ... but there is only so much good quality used equipment you can get," Newlin said. "If you carry the high-end, very desirable new products then the people will want to trade in their stuff that's a little older to get the newest and the latest."

Newlin has been Play It Again Sports franchise owner in Springfield for the past seven years. Salyers became a partner four years ago after managing Newlin's store for three years.[[In-content Ad]]