"We love and need the mountains, trails, rivers and wild places. They nourish our spirit. Our mission is - with true enthusiasm - to bring or renew this love to our customers and to each person who works with us."

To state the obvious: we are in unprecedented and uncertain times. 

In these times, we look to our company mission: We need the wild places.

The Present of Alpine Shop
We have closed all of our Missouri stores (Kirkwood, Chesterfield and Columbia) through April 22, to match the St. Louis County Stay at Home Order. We are choosing the safety of our staff and customers over any interpretation of “Shelter in Place” orders that would allow us to remain open.

Our small internet sales team remains on the job and a skeleton crew remains to meet all obligations we can, while keeping us ready to reopen when the time comes. 

The problem is that we don’t know when that will be.

The History of Alpine Shop
“We believe our people add value to every transaction, but we don’t expect you to pay more for it” has been our pricing policy since before the internet. We’ve invested in our staff over many years, providing more training and adjusting schedules so they can “do what we sell”.

Over the 47 years we’ve been in business, starting as a climbing shop in a 10 foot by 15 foot second floor room, we’ve had our ups and downs. A large national chain competitor came to town. We prepared by increasing inventory. We lost 17% of our business over two years, but by the third we were back to even and on our way. No one lost their jobs.

Early on, we saw the Great Recession coming. We canceled orders, cut back inventory and battened down the hatches. It was painful. Over a number of years, losses equaled profits. Good people, who deserved raises, could not get them; we didn't have the money. But, through it all, no one lost a job.

The calamity we’re all living in has now dealt us the heartbreaking task of laying off over 100 friends and colleagues, outfitters and managers alike. They are at home, waiting for the day we can re-open our doors. We have done everything we can to assure they get maximum benefits, and we are maintaining their existing health insurance.

The Future of Alpine Shop and Request for Your Help
An undefined closure is a threat to any small business.  Many stores only have cash reserves to tide them over for a few weeks. We worry that this virus scenario could erase many local small businesses. 

At this most vulnerable time, it is our hope that we now can rely on 47+ years of goodwill and expert service to our communities, and ask that you support our Alpine Shop community in any way you can, and, if possible, that you do it Now.

If you enjoy our free and low cost events, fundraisers and donations to local causes; if your children have learned to love the outdoors through our work with the schools; or if you’re just happy knowing we’re offering these things, we humbly ask for your support. 

An influx of cash now through your purchase of gift cards, of bike maintenance vouchers to be used when we reopen, or simply by shopping with us – all of which can be done at www.alpineshop.com – would make an extraordinary difference.

This extends beyond our stores. Thank you for continuing to support your favorite small shops in our communities, so that they will still be here after this ordeal ends.

With the utmost gratitude…

Lisa and Russell “Holly” Hollenbeck and the entire Alpine Shop Family

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