You’ve probably been wondering what’s happening to the old Toys ‘R’ Us building now that construction’s started.
Utah-based Al’s Sporting Goods is opening its third location in Idaho Falls this fall in the Toys ‘R’ Us building.The business’ first location opened in Logan, Utah, in 1921 and opened its second location in Orem, Utah, in 2017.
Jason Larsen, president of Al’s Sporting Goods, said the company is very excited about the Idaho Falls location.
“We love everything about Idaho Falls,” he said. “It’s very similar in a lot of ways to Cache Valley. It’s a very outdoor-focused community with lots of access for people to get outside, whether you fish on the Snake River or you want to head up to the Palisades or go ski at Targhee. It’s just a beautiful place.”
Larsen said Al’s has been thinking about an Idaho Falls location for quite some time.
“The opportunity just came up when the Toys ‘R’ Us building became available,” he said. “The time was right and the opportunity was right and we were ready to go, so here we are.”
The Toys ‘R’ Us building is currently being remodeled for Al’s.
“We’ll be completely remodeling and we’re excited to recycle and repurpose that building and reuse it,” Larsen said. “There was some useful life left in the building. It won’t look like Toys ‘R’ Us. It’ll look like our Orem store. It’ll be pretty similar, a little smaller, with the same finishes and general layout.”
Larsen said there will be “something for everybody at Al’s.”
“We’re a full line specialty sporting goods store,” he said. “We sell firearms, camping equipment, running shoes, team sports equipment, bikes, e-bikes, and clothing from brands like Patagonia, The North Face, Nike and Under Armour.”
This location is to carry the same Specialized bikes as their other two locations. Bikes can be shipped between the three locations if one location does not have what the customer is looking for.
The Idaho Falls location is scheduled to open this fall.
“We’re on track to open sometime in August. We’re on schedule. Knock on wood that nothing changes,” Larsen said. “Hopefully the community loves Al’s!”