Scheels — Local services in Rapid City

Scheels: An Anthropological Study of the Modern Midwestern Flex

Scheels is not a store. Scheels is a spiritual event for the affluent suburbanite, a pilgrimage of polyester pullovers, $400 trail runners that never see a trail, and gleaming blonde ponytails bouncing in synchronized glory like a scene from a Lululemon-sponsored Stepford reboot.

The entrance is a swirling eddy of Ford Expeditions, Yukons, and Suburbans, all driven by soccer moms whose nails are French-tipped and whose fitness leggings cost more than my rent. Their natural habitat? The Starbucks drive-thru. Their mating call? "Brayden, put down the crossbow, Mommy said no."

Inside, time ceases to exist. There are no clocks. Only North Face jackets in 17 shades of "Aspen Fog" and "Sahara Dust."

The men, mostly named Brad or Greg, drift toward the firearms section like salmon returning to their birthplace to die. They eye $2,300 rifles with the solemn reverence of priests admiring holy relics. They tell themselves it’s an investment. They know, deep down, it’s therapy.

Children are feral here. They are sticky, barefoot, and possessed of a supernatural ability to climb the taxidermied moose display while simultaneously demanding fudge from the candy counter that inexplicably exists in the middle of the camping section.

The true heart of Scheels, however, is the Ferris Wheel. It looms, a gleaming monument to consumerism’s final boss battle: "Why spend less when you can spin into debt in style?"

Above it all, the scent of cinnamon pretzels and capitalist ambition lingers heavy in the air. Here, money is not spent. It is sacrificed. You don't leave Scheels with what you came for. You leave with what Scheels knew you needed before you did.

Thus concludes our study: Scheels — the cathedral of curated chaos where sporting dreams go to get monetized and the Great Midwestern Identity is preserved in...

I don’t shop on Black Friday… this morning I did for the very first time that I can ever remember. Mostly because I am a 20+ year veteran of retail sales, and retail management.. and I know firsthand the chaos that this retail holiday creates. Today I own and operate a fly fishing guide service in the northern Black Hills. I write this after price comparison shopping with 3 other retailers since 4:30am… my last stop was Scheels.

I go in… the place is packed.. I was surprised to not only find what I was looking for, but at a good price, and with above average selection in the particular niche I was scouting. Also surprising… but all the employees were smiling, laughing, and genuinely enjoying their Jobs! No one walked by in a Scheel’s uniform without saying hello, how can I help? The manager stopped what he was doing… went and personally found me a shopping cart, and then sent a knowledgeable staff member to answer my questions. The sales person took it upon himself to go to the back and dig out the last 6 of one of the items I was purchasing. I inquired about a Black Friday discount on these 2 items I was only going to grab a few of. There was no discount or promotion on these items under the current sale. The salesperson said hold on just a minute though… called his manager back, who did offer a small discount (on top of an already rock bottom price) for customer loyalty.

I left Scheels with precisely what I was looking for, at an incredible value, AND with unparalleled customer service.

I cannot speak for the business of all Scheels stores, but I can tell you the Rapid City location is top shelf. From now on I will do my own personal shopping with Scheel’s, and I will recommend them to my family, friends, and my clients. To the management and staff of Scheels in Rapid City, South Dakota… thank you! Simply...

I honestly feel scammed right now!! I have always loved shopping at Scheels, the products are great and customer service is great and friendly. Today I went to brave the crazy shoppers and got about $200 worth of stuff. As I was checking out I was told that if I applied for a Scheels Visa and was approved today that I would get $50 off my purchase. So, since I know I have a credit score over 800, I figured why not, I will get $50 off this purchase. I applied and the lady returned and said all she knows is that it went into pending status. I thought was something entered incorrectly?? I asked for the phone number to the bank and called them right then and I spoke with a lady at the bank that was able to tell me I was automatically approved and that unfortunately there is no way to communicate this back to Scheels. Really?!?!? I told her right away to cancel the account since I have no purpose for the card and I was applying to get the $50 off my purchase today. I am very disappointed and feel like this is a marketing ploy only to get people to apply for the Scheels credit cards. I will think twice before I go back. It also is frustrating that I know my credit will now have an inquiry which may effect my...