Outdoor Store Closings
We always hate to report on shops that have to shutter for various reasons. But there are always lessons to learn and nuggets of wisdom and grace to take away. Here, we cover the closing chapters of great retailers.
Industry Buzz: Kind Bars acquired, hiker returns from the brink of death, the case for a new CCC, Sea to Summit expands leadership, analyzing outdoor rec spending
Industry headlines: Intriguing reads from around the web KIND acquired: Mars, the maker of Snickers, has announced plans to buy Kind North America, the company responsible for Kind Bars. [The New York Times] Back from the brink of death: A hiker rescued from Mount Rainier this ...read more
Betsy Bertram reflects on the bittersweet closing of her family’s beloved shop
My parents founded Townsend Bertram & Company in 1988 with the dream of creating a vibrant community of adventures. After 32 years in business, my mom will be closing the doors for the last time this Thanksgiving. Over the last few weeks, we’ve held a “retirement sale” and have ...read more
Wylder Goods says goodbye and closes shop
In 2016, Jainee Dial and Lindsey Davis opened the online retailer Wylder Goods with $54,000 from Kickstarter and a simple yet compelling mission: to create a unique gear-buying experience for adventurous women who love the outdoors. Now, in the middle of the coronavirus ...read more
Mountain Gear closing after 37 years
Mountain Gear, one of our industry’s premier mountain shops, will be closing its doors in the coming months. The decision to close weighs heavily on founder and owner, Paul Fish, who said that the realization that it was time was both came somewhat sudden but also a long time ...read more
Connecticut retailer Denali is closing all doors
After rumblings of an uncertain future, Denali announced last Tuesday that its closing all seven locations. A "going out of business" sale at the Old Saybrook location signals the store's end. More than 25 years ago, the first store opened as Trailblazer in New Haven and grew to ...read more
Seattle's Ascent Outdoors suddenly closes after 23 years
Less than a year after Seattle's Ascent Outdoors opened a second location and not even a month after celebrating its 23rd anniversary, the business has unexpectedly shuttered all three of its doors. The business has not made any official announcements about the closure, other ...read more
Onion River Sports says goodbye
Andrew Brewer likes to say that working at—and owning—Onion River Sports has been the only job he’s ever known. Now 51, Brewer joined the team prior to going away to college and returned to manage and then (in 2000) buy the shop. But nearly 18 years into his ownership, Brewer’s ...read more
Adventure 16 closes two stores
Adventure 16 has been forced to do what many in the industry might have thought unthinkable just a few years ago – it has closed two of its stores as it fights to stay afloat in a challenging economy. On Feb. 23, it shut the doors of its CAMP store in Costa Mesa, ending ...read more