Dick's Sporting Goods grand opened their Commack location Friday morning, making this its 33rd store in the New York market.
The store had been operating for the past three weeks, but Friday marked its official opening.
The national sporting goods chain takes over the former Pathmark shopping center, building a new store at 6070 Jericho Turnpike near the East Northport border.
Several sporting celebrities will be making appearances at sports retailer's grand opening weekend. New York Giants wide receiver Hakeem Nicks, a member of Superbowl XLVI championship team, will make a special appearance on Saturday from 5 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. The store will hand out 300 wristbands on a first-come, first-serve basis starting at 8 a.m. to fans looking to get an autograph.
Sport fishermen will have an opportunity to meet professional bass angler Shaw Grigsby from 1 p.m. - 5 p.m. Saturday. There will be a limit to one autograph per customer.
"Customers can expect more personalized service in getting fit for running shoes or being able to come in and test out that $300 club to see if they like it," said District Loss Prevention Manager, Joe Rayski
The store will be home to a few state-of-the art features including a treadmill where runners can have their gait analyzed and then matched up with the proper pair of running shoes. Local foot races are posted on a blackboard for runners to find upcoming races.
The golfing section boasts a simulator where enthusiasts can tee up and test out a club or rent time their to practice their swing.
Dick's will enter competition with two other sports merchandise chain stores in the area – Sports Authority located at 124 Veterans Memorial Highway in Commack and Modell's located at 728 Larkfield Road in East Northport.
