Connect Retail is our weekly column on the sector, authored by veteran CRE writer Ian Ritter.

There has been a lot of news about the issues of big-box stores, such as electronics retailers and major book and media stores. But there are some very serious retailers offering experiential retail to consumers.

One great example of this is Nebraska Furniture Mart, a venture of ultra-smart investor Warren Buffett. The chain doesn’t have many locations, but has a huge following by consumers. And the stores are huge. The Nebraska Furniture Mart in Kansas City, KS measures 1.1 million square feet. Not to be outdone, Texas’ NFM store, about 20 miles north of downtown Dallas, is approximately 1.3 million square feet.

Another chain gaining traction is the sporting goods store Scheels, which is now in 11 states. The standard Scheels measures between approximately 200,000 square feet-300,000 square feet. These stores have climbing walls for children, as well as play areas . . . and even a Ferris wheel. While the kiddos play, adults dine and make their purchasing decisions.

 The thing that is interesting about establishments like this is that the square footage they take up dwarfs a Walmart Supercenter, which by most peoples’ standards is huge.

What do you think about these super-sized stores and their business potential?