HikeArizona.COM

This story is a tad "old" now--it appeared on 19JAN:

azcentral.com business articles 0119popular19.html [ dead link unslashed ]

Anyway, the gist of it is that Popular Outdoor Outfitters (AKA Popular Surplus to us "old timers") is possibly heading for bankruptcy court.

Does anyone know "the latest" on this news item? If anyone with a high speed connection and a lot of time cares to search federal records for a formal legal filing notice, we'd appreciate knowing about it. This is a case we'd like to follow fairly closely. Popular's been our "GO TO" mainstay outdoor source since the late 70's. It's sad to see them stressed and we wonder what's going to become of them. Mgmt. quotes from the article cited above indicated they think everything's gonna be alright. That's what you'd expect mgmt. to say. But we wonder. And we wait.

J&S

The three stores still open in the east valley (Phx. Metro area) have little inventories at this time. Will miss them if they close for good.

In case anybody's not aware, Popular closed all their remaining Phoenix Metro locations this past month. So much for "We're not closing any more stores." Sigh.

Their website says the Tucson and Flag stores are still open, but I'm not about to trek north or south just to find out if that's true and what shape they're in.

Hey, Haz'ers. if you live in Tucson or Flag, could your PLEASE go check out the almost extinct Popular stores that suppsedly exist in your locale?

Somehow, we had an idea this was the "reality" we would face. We hated to even "think" the thought but now realize reality is bearing down on us at a high rate of speed. Dang.

Hope to hear from you farflung Haz-ites.

j

I sent the management or whoever it was an e mail asking if they had permanently closed the Phoenix stores, and their reply was yes, but they hoped to keep the others going. I also asked if they were going to start a mail order section for their stuff, and they said that in six months they would fire that up. Of course, you neve know, too bad they were a good store. Oh well, progress, some chinese outfit will probably fill the niche. SIgh :roll:

Chandler and East Mesa stores are gone...

Well, we guess the only remaining "mystery" of this sad saga is which shadows remain. In other words, are there ANY viable Popular Stores left? Personally, we took issue with the "owners" reason for the stores' demise. He blamed it on the drought. That was so lame. Disgusting.

As a "student" of this particular store, I'd blame it on HIM! He took over the store from his Dad and overexpanded. Got "blinded by the light."

Why can't people like this dude pin the tail on their own donkey?

They're an pumpkin for all the world to see.

j

We went out to Grand Falls today and couldn't resist going into the southern fringe of Flagstaff to check out Popular's store there.

Guess what? It's filled the the brim with nice, shiny, new gear. Looks like the Popular of yesteryear. So we cornered the manager, "J.C," and put it to him point blank, "Are you bankrupt?"

He had an obviously canned answer that he reeled off like some script.
They are in Chapter 11 Bankruptcy that allows them to "reorganize."

They have closed ALL of their Phoenix metro stores. They have only five stores left open. Flagstaff, Prescott, and three in Tucson. He said those were their most profitable stores anyway.

He said the merchandise is now shipped directly to each store without going through a central warehouse of some sort.

He said the website is for "informational purposes only" and nothing can be ordered from it.

But you know what? The Flag Popular looked, felt and seemed "just like old times!" All the gear is fresh and new--all the shelves are stocked--no bare spots or hang tags. Everything is "up to snuff." In fact, it seemed there wasn't a nano-centimeter of shelf space on which to stock another item of any description.

That's the best report I can give you--eyewitness, first-hand experience and a back-up source to prove this is actually the "way it is."

Hike ON!

j

I guess Prescott will be the closest to Phoenix then?

I know this is a way old thread, but I use to work at the Mckellips Rd store if any former Popular people are on HAZ say hi

Still have my Happy Camper Card and have the bumper sticker was thinking of putting it on my popup camper. Visited the McKellips store (and others).

Popular was the ONLY store anywhere in the White Mtns. where you could buy a full set-up for backpacking. They had a store in Show Low, one of the first ones to close, although I heard it wasn't losing money that badly since it had no competition there. And there has never really been anything to take its place. Big 5 is there now, has a few items for backpacking but very slim choices, and the various ski shops have a few items, and that's about it.

I moved here from NJ where I was an avid hiker and camper. I wanted to meet people here who enjoyed the same, so I figured getting a job at a camping store was a good way to do that. I made some extra money for gear and was able pick up quality stuff on the cheap with employee discounts. Twice a year they had a meet the vendor thing where sales people would demonstrate new products to us and then sell us them for next to nothing. I got lots of great top of the line gear that way. It was a great place to work until things started surfacing that signaled money trouble. I will spare the details. I started seeing the writing on the wall that things were not going well. We started selling more stuff that was geared to people that get all there camping stuff at Wal-Mart and less and less of the quality gear. Shortly after that I ended up leaving the job and about 6 months later they closed the store. At the time other then the manager I was the only person that worked in the store that was over 20 in fact other then the manager I was the only person who was over 27 in the store.

Everyone noticed that at some point they started carrying a lot of the worst brand names. All the hikers were talking about it. They never had been a top-end store, but they were comfortably middle-of-the road as far as the quality, brands, etc. A store most of us could afford, in other words. Then they started opening way too many stores, and then they started carrying a lot of dollar store/Walmart junk. They drove it right into the ground.

And yeah, I did notice that there started being some really clueless clerks as well. At one time I had thought about applying for a job at the one on Oracle Road in Tucson, but that was way back in the early-mid 90's.

That sounds like Yellow Front. Remember those? I know there was one in either Pinetop or Lakeside. We used to go to the one at 32nd Street / Shea Blvd. in Phoenix back in the day. When there was a movie theater there....

Yellow Front was more like a large version of Family Dollar, wasn't it? Popular Outfitters we are reminiscing about was only camping/backpacking/fishing, etc. It crashed and burned a few years ago.

I remember that McKellips store and I live right by there. I used to by some things there. Got my first pair of Merrell jungle mocs there, best everyday shoe I ever had. Now that place is a karate school. we sent my daughter there for over a year before we were all done with it. Now the Sportman's wearhouse at Greenfield and Baseline is the closest place to get camping gear.

we still have SUMMIT HUT, the only place in AZ that carries top end commercial stuff like Western Mountaineering, Exped and Montbell.

Well, yes, but I would concede that Summit Hut is several cuts above Popular. No question there in my mind. I'm just saying that Popular filled a kind of middle-of-the road, family, budget, Scout troop type of niche that hasn't been replaced. Big 5, Sportsmen's Warehouse, etc. not the same thing. Bob's Bargain Barn in Tucson also filled that niche, but closed down when Popular came to town, claiming they could not compete with it. (I think the owner just wanted to retire, actually.)

Incidentally, did you know that Dave Baker sold the Summit Hut several months ago? I think (hope) the new owners will try to keep the same quality.

azbackpackr wrote:Incidentally, did you know that Dave Baker sold the Summit Hut several months ago? I think (hope) the new owners will try to keep the same quality.

He sold it to one of his underlings. I think she was in charge of marketing before so I expect the same ol' Summit Hut will be here for years and years to come. Time will tell how they do with REI in town, though...