CREJ: Experiential Sports Concepts Transforms Retail Assets

Mike Hockett, our Colorado Executive VP of Client and Project Development, highlights how experiential sports elements are redefining the retail industry in CREJ’s Retail Properties Quarterly (May 2025)—transforming underutilized spaces into engaging community hubs.

Here are some interior photos from our longtime client, Bass Pro Shops, known for integrating immersive experiences into their stores across the U.S.—from large indoor aquariums to simulated outdoor environments.

A strategic shift: From retail center to recreation hub. The trend of integrating indoor sports facilities into retail centers reflects a fundamental shift in strategy. Retailers and developers are shifting focus from transactions to experiences. As a result, these experience-driven spaces boost foot traffic, extend dwell time, and create a halo effect that benefits nearby food, beverage, and retail outlets.

Bass Pro Shops, Northfield – Denver, CO

Retail plus recreation in action. Merging sports and retail isn’t new, but recent innovations are raising the bar. Brands like Dick’s House of Sport, Topgolf Swing Suites, REI, and Bass Pro Shops are transforming retail spaces into immersive, activity-driven environments that align with their values and engage customers in unique ways. These experiences do more than attract foot traffic—they foster deeper engagement, build brand loyalty, and, increasingly, show measurable returns as data supports the value of experiential retail strategies.

Experiential retail as a differentiator. Experiential retail is redefining in-store shopping in today’s competitive landscape by transforming traditional shopping into an immersive, emotionally engaging experience. Elements like product trials, sports simulators, and workshops set physical stores apart from e-commerce.

Recent industry data underscors its impact. A 2023 report by UnivDatos, a global market research firm, found that experiential retail can increase customer dwell time by up to 40%. According to Retail Sensing, which anlayzes in-store behavior using sensor technology, a 1% increase in dwell time can lead to 1.3% boost in sales. Meanwhile, consumer insights firm TruRating reports that 8% of shoppers are willing to pay more for a better in-store experience.

These findings demonstrate that experiential elements not tonly differentiate brick-and-mortar from e-commerce, but also drive higher engagment, loyalty, and, ultimately, revenue.

Indoor sports experiences can repurpose vacant assets. Indoor sports experiences present a valuable opportunity to repurpose underutilized retail spaces—especially large-format, big-box properties impacted by e-commerce growth, changing consumer habits, and post-pandemic shifts. These spaces, with open layouts, high ceilings, and ample parking, are well-suited for installations like pickleball courts, batting cages, and climbing walls. Converting them into recreational hubs can revitalize struggling assets, boost foot traffic, and reposition retail centers as vibrant community destinations.

Renovation challenges and considerations. Indoor sports conversions in retail settings present major opportunities but require careful planning. From structural and zoning evaluations to staffing and liability management, every step is critical. Forming strategic partnerships with landlords, operators, and local governments helps align investments with community-focused goals such as public health and economic revitalization.

The bottom line: Experience drives engagement. Experience-led strategies are becoming essential to the future of retail. Repurposing vacant spaces into interactive, community-driven sports environments boosts foot traffic, strengthens customer loyalty, and enhances property value. While implementation requires thoughtful design and expert execution, the returns make it a smart, forward-looking investment—pointing to a future where experience outweighs inventory—highlighting a shift where experience outweighs inventory, and experiential retail may be the next winning play.

Explore some of our retail projects here.