Old Modesto Dick’s Sporting Goods finds new national tenant; Dave & Buster’s underway
A new national chain is moving into the former Dick’s Sporting Goods space in north Modesto.
The sports gear and apparel seller moved out of its standalone building along Dale Road into the larger, first floor of the former Sears anchor space at Vintage Faire Mall in October 2020. The vacant space it left behind had at one time been considered for Stanislaus County’s first HomeGoods store. But those plans fell through once the pandemic started.
Now, a new national retailer has signed on to take over the 33,000-square-foot space. Bob’s Discount Furniture, a home furnishings seller based in Connecticut, plans to move into the former Dick’s space.
The chain has 150 locations across the country, mainly throughout the East Coast and Midwest. The company’s West Coast Zone Vice President of Store Operations Kevin Parker said they currently have 22 locations in the state, though most are in Southern California.
Parker said the new Modesto store is part of Bob’s expansion into Northern California. The closest existing stores are in Fresno and Visalia. He called the Modesto location, just off the corner of Dale Road and Standiford Avenue, “ideal.”
“It has very good visibility and is in a great shopping area (around the Modesto mall) right off the freeway,” he said. “Our Visalia and Fresno stores have been very successful for us. So it made sense to keep our footprint going up into Northern California.”
Founded some 30 years ago by Bob Kaufman, whose animated likeness serves as the company’s mascot, the furniture seller is known for its low prices — as the name would suggest.
But Parker said stores aren’t set up like warehouses or outlets, but instead have showrooms filled with staged living room, bedroom, outdoor and other furniture sets. The company also sells a full line of mattresses, including its signature Bob-O-Pedic memory foam brand.
Parker said shoppers can expect to find mattresses and full bedroom sets for under $1,000. He said a full two-bedroom house can be furnished from scratch for about $5,000. Because of its competitive rates, the company doesn’t hold sales but rather keeps prices steady.
“We charge one price, the same price, day in and day out. Everyone gets the same price,” Parker said. “We are hundred to thousands less, depending on what you’re shopping for. You don’t have to deal with gimmicks or haggling or worrying about getting the best price.”
And, Bob’s isn’t too worried about the competition, either. The store will open surrounded by other furniture sellers, including Furniture City, which will be across the Vintage Faire parking lot from the new Bob’s. The rival Fresno-based home furnishings company moved into the massive three-story, 154,500-square-foot former Forever 21 anchor space in late 2020.
“Just how car dealerships usually have a bunch of other car dealerships around each other, the same is true with furniture,” Parker said. “We all want a chance at (shoppers) and hope they think we’re the best. Hopefully, they choose Bob’s.”
Another thing that sets Bob’s apart is its free cafe with complimentary coffee, ice cream, cookies and a whole lot of candy, which is offered to shoppers daily. Yes, free.
The new furniture store is expected to open in early May, with a grand opening ceremony set for the start of Memorial Day weekend May 27. Parker said the store hopes to open with a staff of 30 to 50, including office, sales, management and delivery drivers. They plan to begin hiring in April, so look for job announcements around that time.
Work is underway at the site, so expect to see activity in and around the building until its opening. Dick’s had occupied the building since 2011, when it moved into what was once a Circuit City.
Bob’s isn’t done expanding into Northern California. Another store is coming to Vacaville in the Bay Area in 2023.
Speaking of construction, work is underway in earnest at the nearby Dave & Buster’s as well. The entertainment center and sports bar combo is set to open on the second floor of the mall’s former Sears anchor space, above the new Dick’s Sporting Goods.
Work began to ramp up this year, and now big machines can be seen accessing the site from the second story of the next door parking garage. It’s some of the first major signs of activity at the site since all construction on the project was shut down in March 2020 after the start of the pandemic.
The new Dave & Buster’s is now expected to open in “spring 2022.”
This story was originally published March 4, 2022 at 7:00 AM.
