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| Cabela’s CEO Tommy Millner shares conversation with some of the first customers through the doors of the company’s new Charleston, WV store. |
The CEO of Cabela’s says bringing a second store to West Virginia was a no-brainer. Tommy Millner beamed with pride as he personally greeted thousands who lined up to be among the first through the doors of the company’s new Charleston location.
"Our Wheeling store has been so successful, we just looked at Charleston and said, ‘This is in the middle of major hunting, fishing, and camping country in West Virginia,’" said Millner. "It’s a natural."
The Charleston store isn’t as large as the Wheeling location. It’s what Cabela’s calls its "next generation" store. The aim is more focused on retail service of the customer and less on the tourist type draw of the retail outlets. Millner promises customer service will be at the heart of the Charleston operation.
"Real attention to merchandise that is specific to this market," said Millner. "We have an expression in our company, ‘look big–act small’, so being really relevant to the needs of what people hunt and fish in this market is a cornerstone. That’s what our customers can expect and they should expect the best customer service they’ve ever seen."
The attention to regional specific needs is reflected in an ATV dealership within the store and one of the company’s larger fly shops staffed by fly fishing experts.
West Virginia is one of only a handful of states with two retailers, but Millner said that’s a credit to the hunting and fishing heritage of the Mountain State.
"The concentration of people that love the outdoors is really deep in West Virginia. That heritage goes back for decades, hundreds of years even," Millner said. "Hunting, fishing, and camping are part of the lifestyle here."
