By Karen Welch — Senior Content Producer
Something’s afoot at a former sports store in Amarillo.
Shoe manufacturer/retailer Skechers will open a Skechers Factory Outlet at 8004 W. Interstate 40, a property that formerly housed Big 5 Sporting Goods.
Ben Whittenburg of Gaut Whittenburg Emerson Commercial Real Estate negotiated the lease of the almost 10,000-square-foot building.
“They thrive in markets like this, and they really like, obviously, being on I-40,” Whittenburg said. “We looked at off-I-40 locations and it just wasn’t as appealing for them. And, it helped a lot that TXDoT (Texas Department of Transportation) moved that exit — not only for traffic pileup, but also access and visibility.”
Whittenburg couldn’t provide a timeline for the store opening. Renovations to the building must occur first, he said.
Skechers is a $3.56-billion global player in the performance and lifestyle footwear industry, and that’s an end-of-2016 figure, according to the corporation’s website.
The company headquartered in Manhattan Beach, Calif., markets more than 3,000 styles for men, women and children. And, through licensing agreements, also offers branded apparel, bags, eyewear and toys, the website said.
Skechers sells its wares through department, specialty and independent stores, as well as its own 2,300 retail stores and online.
Karen Welch is a senior content producer for Panhandle PBS. She can be contacted at Karen.Welch@actx.edu, at @KWelch806 on Twitter and at www.facebook.com/karensmithwelch on Facebook. Subscribe to the Panhandle PBS BizHere podcast on iTunes and SoundCloud to hear more business news and interviews.
