Cabela's Slims Down Stores

Cabela's Inc. (Sidney, Neb.) is betting its so-called “Next Gen” stores, the latest of which will open in Woodbury, Minn. on May 15, will help it hang on to customers and fend off online rivals such as Amazon, reported the Minneapolis StarTribune.

Although the store still boasts signature features such as taxidermy animals and a multistory mountain, Cabela’s managed to squeeze “the same amount of merchandising space” into a smaller area — 85,000 square feet vs. other locations' 150,000 square feet — said Shelby Rockhold, the Woodbury location’s general manager. “They have different museums throughout the stores, so you’re not going to have those extra museums with different square footage, but your shopping experience is still going to be the same,” Rockhold said.

Twenty-three more of these prototype stores are planned across the country over the next two years, company officials said.