Scenes from O’Fallon’s Grand Opening – March 22
19th Winter Swap Success Even Against Cardinals
Running an event like Alpine Shop’s Winter Swap involves coordinating hundreds of people over thousands of hours of planning and execution. What we can’t control, though, are those lovable little birds-on-bat, St Louis’ own baseball Cardinals. For the second time in a year, our home town’s favorite boys of summer have thrown an unexpected – but absolutely welcomed – monkey wrench into our plans.
When David Freese homered in the 11th inning to send the 2011 World Series to a game 7, our Women’s Ski and Snowboard Weekend kickoff party (the second weekend of our 18th Swap event) had to be cancelled after we had more than three quarters of our registered attendees cancel on us following the most exciting playoff game in major league baseball history. And, all of this happened just before midnight on a Thursday night. With Jeannie Thoren – our keynote speaker – scheduled to fly in the next morning from Chicago, we had to make the call based on what we know about St Louis. You see, St Louis in October belongs to the Cardinals. We had no chance. And let me tell you, our store was deserted- as was every other retail outlet in the Lou – on Friday, Oct. 28, 2011. Thankfully, Jeannie was able to change her flight plans for free and we didn’t waste anyone’s time as the Cardinals won their 10th World Series Championship that night.
Fast forward 358 days from there to Friday, Oct. 19 and the start of our 19th Annual Swap. This time we’re faced with Game 5 of the National League Championship Series – a clinch game for the Cardinals. But after all the hours we put into a Swap, there was no chance for us to cancel this event. Thankfully, we found St Louis still loves Swap no matter what else is going on. After helping us get things started with a rousing rendition of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” (video to come), more than 400 people have walked through our doors just an hour into this year’s event. At $5 a person to enter, that means we have already raised over $2000 to donate to the Disabled Athletes Sports Association – the organization long-time benefactor Gateway Disabled Ski Program became a part of last year.
So, our thanks to St Louis and to everyone who has come out with us tonight to make our 19th Annual Winter Swap kick-off so successful.
Find the Best Adventures Near You with Alpine Shop & RootsRated
Outdoor guide site RootsRated is set to launch in partnership with Grassroots Outdoor Alliance retailer Alpine Shop this week to provide locals and visitors to the St. Louis area with a highly usable guide for discovering local experts’ favorite places for outdoor recreation.
RootsRated is, simply put, an outdoor travel guide. Ever find yourself traveling to a city, wondering where you can rock climb or trail run when you get there? Are you new to your area, or looking to try a new sport? With RootsRated, the best local outdoor experiences are at your fingertips.
This is “expertly-curated” information, which means our local experts have selected their favorite spots for you. You won’t have to wade through dozens of options before making a choice; the 5 or 10 best local spots are right there, so you can pick one and get out there. If you need a piece of gear before heading out, you’ll be able to connect with Grassroots Outdoor Alliance retailers in that region — the same experts who’ve provided the content.
Here’s what Alpine Shop Marketing Director Todd Oswald had to say about the project:
“We’re already a hub of local knowledge for trails, paddling routes, and crags in the St Louis and Columbia regions. RootsRated will give us an innovative way to become the digital hub as well. We’re looking forward to giving our customers another resource to help them get outside themselves.”
RootsRated is going to empower adventurous people to find the most memorable experiences; this platform is the perfect resource for those in search of authentic local knowledge. Find your favorite local places to go and things to do with www.rootsrated.com.
Alpine Shop Celebrates Re-Launch of Alpineshop.com
After nearly 18 months in development, Alpine Shop is celebrating the re-launch of its on-line presence at alpineshop.com.
With over 50 new features, including a completely redesigned home page, we’re trying to make it easier for you to find the outdoor recreation product, information or instruction you’re looking for, at any time.
“Our new site has reorganized and reformatted everything about alpineshop.com,” said eCommerce Manager Beverly McBrian. “We’ve been able to add great new features like product comparisons, gift registries, Paypal, Google Checkout, estimated shipping rates and and the ability to refine searches. I’m excited about how much more user friendly the new site is and what it offers our customers in product, information, and overall experience.”
All New Search Engine
One of the most important changes made at alpineshop.com concerns the navigation and search functions of the site. We knew from past experience that our old site just didn’t do the job. When we went to work with the designers and programmers at Celerant Technology—the company behind the new site—we spent an overwhelming amount of time reworking how a customer can shop with us on-line. We wanted it to feel like you were in an incredibly well-organized version of one of our retail locations.
Shop for Sales Without the Hassles
We also completely revamped the “Sale” portion of the site. Now you can simply pick a section of the store that you’re interested in finding discounted items in from the navigation across the top of the screen, from any page in the entire site.
More Information on Places to Go and Things to Do
One of the bigger changes to alpineshop.com is its integration with the information side of Alpine Shop. Our original website– which started back in 1992—featured all of our famous programs and events with almost no product information at all. When we launched the new e-commerce version of our site in 2010, much of that tradition disappeared. We have now integrated the new alpineshop.com more fully with our other information websites– blog-alpineshop.com, offroadracingleague.com, our on-line class registration system at alpineshop.webconnex.com and a new venture, RootsRated.com.
“Every website has the potential to make you a national brand,” Marketing Director Todd Oswald said. “But our focus and our passion lies with Missouri and Illinois where most of our customers live and play. What’s so exciting about this new site is it should really help make it easier for all of our customers to discover more to do. Whether it’s the information from blog-alpineshop.com, or all the races from the Off-Road Racing League, or even the newest site, RootsRated—which gives our users a chance to discover trails and trips throughout the region and beyond—we think we’ve got everything our customers need to discover themselves outdoors.”
Free Ship to Store
As another nod to our Midwest roots, Alpine Shop has also committed to offering Free “Ship-to-Store” services for all three of our locations now with this relaunch.
Faster than Ever
Finally, we hope you’ll notice immediately how much faster the new alpineshop.com is to use. Completely re-coded from the ground up, we can’t wait for you to give it a spin and let us know what you think. If you have any questions or comments about the new site, please let us know with a comment below.
Thanks!
Alpine Shop: Only Summit Dealer for The North Face in Missouri
The North Face mission is simple: To Enable Exploration. Our goal is to encourage outdoor participation at all levels and maximize that experience with premier gear and apparel. Our belief is that specialty outdoor dealers are the gateway to those experiences. Stores like Alpine Shop do more than just sell product, they serve as the local gathering place for those seeking advice for their next adventure.
That is why The North Face created the Summit Dealer Program. This program is designed to partner with the best outdoor specialty retailers in North America and to develop the strongest possible bond with those dealers. We view Summit Dealers as a part of our family- sharing our same brand values and goals.
Alpine Shop wasn’t just made a Summit Dealer. They earned it. They were handpicked to be a Summit Dealer because they epitomize what our brand is all about. Best-in-class outdoor gear and apparel. Period. From our athlete-tested, expedition-proven Summit Series apparel and equipment all the way down to our toddler outerwear collection, they strive to bring you our best products every season to protect you, no matter what your next adventure is.
We appreciate your continued support and for choosing to buy our products from a truly special local dealer.
Brian Masewicz
The North Face Sales Manager
Alpine Shop is proud to be the only Summit Dealer in the state of Missouri. (And yes, that includes The North Face store in St. Louis which is NOT a Summit Dealer.) That means that we carry an entire category of The North Face product that no one else has for more than 150 miles around us.
Products like the Women’s Thunder Micro Jacket, or the Men’s Summit Thermal Jacket are among this collection you won’t find anywhere else.
We look forward to helping you find the perfect apparel and/or equipment you need for your next great adventure. As The North Face says, “Never Stop Exploring.” And as Alpine Shop likes to say: “Get Outside Yourself.”
Alpine Shop’s “We Don’t Want to Break the Law” Sale
We actually came up with a sale so crazy, we found out it was truly illegal. True story.
We’ve been informed that we would be breaking a new Missouri law if we ran the sale promotion we advertised earlier this week in our e-mail. So in order to make sure we’re on the right side of the good citizen line, we want to introduce you to our new promotion: “Save a Certain Percentage on Everything in our Stores for 10 Days!”(Otherwise known as the “We Don’t Want to Break the Law” Sale.)
Want to know the exact amount of the discount on absolutely everything in the store? Just come in to any Alpine Shop location and ask! Or visit alpineshop.com and see what discount pops up Friday, July 27 through Sunday, August 5!
This is not just good on backpacks or clothes. Need a new bike to get to school (or to get on the trail)? Now’s your chance to save on absolutely everything in our store. Are you thinking you just need to get a new kayak? Save now! Skis for this winter’s trip to the mountains? Save again! Like we said, you’ll “Save a Certain Percentage (depending on where you live) on Everything in our Stores for 10 Days!”
This incredible (and formerly illegal) promotion starts Friday, July 27, 2012 at all Alpine Shop stores and on-line at alpineshop.com. Don’t get caught waiting – it only goes through Sunday, Aug. 5 (and provided we don’t get arrested before then).
Spring MK Day! $10 Off All Mountain Khaki Items on Sat. March 24, 2012
Mountain Khaki has declared Saturday, March 24, 2012 as Spring MK Day!
On this day only, All Mountain Khaki items (pants, shirts, accessories) are all $10 off at Alpine Shop.
The best part is, a portion of the proceeds will benefit an organization Alpine Shop has close ties with as well, the Conservation Alliance.
This deal is only good in our stores, but you can see what we have available by visiting alpineshop.com’s Mountain Khaki page here.
Customer Appreciation Day Begins at Alpine Shop Kirkwood
Last month, Alpine Shop was named national Retailer of the Year for Growth in Outdoor Sports by the industry experts at SNEWS and Backpacker Magazine. In honor of this, Alpine Shop invited our loyal customers from the past 38 years to come celebrate with us on Saturday, February 25, 2012 at all three of our locations.
Outdoor Lovers & Lovers Outdoors Contest Winners Announced
Alpine Shop is pleased to announce the winners of our “Outdoor Lovers & Lovers Outdoors” Photo Contest! Thanks to the more than 30 people who entered the contest with their photos of them and their loved ones doing what they loved outdoors.
Congratulations to the Winners:
1st Prize (Random Drawing): Andrew Fleck, who wins a $150 Alpine Shop gift card!
Most Commented on Photo: Tim Canning, who wins a $50 Alpine Shop gift card
First Photo Posted: Todd D. Warren, who wins a $50 Alpine Shop gift card
Special Award for Including a Photo of her Actually Getting Engaged while Outdoors: Ally Walker, who wins a $50 gift card, as well.
Winners, please send an e-mail to “adventure (at) alpineshop.com” with your name, address and phone number so we can get your gift card to you!
Congratulations to all of our winners and be on the lookout for our next contest coming soon!
Alpine Shop Wins 2012 National Retailer of the Year Award
In a presentation in Salt Lake City, Utah, Alpine Shop – a St. Louis-based independent outdoor recreation retailer – received the 2012 SNEWS/Backpacker Magazine National Retailer of the Year Award for Growth of Outdoor Sports. This award goes to the business that performed the best job in the nation at introducing people to the world of outdoor sports during the 2011 calendar year.
“I didn’t get into this business to get rich. And let me tell you, I didn’t,” joked Alpine Shop owner Russell Hollenbeck upon receiving the award. “Getting people outdoors is why we do this. It’s behind everything we do.”
During the 2011 calendar year, Alpine Shop, long known for its emphasis on empowering customers to get outdoors, enrolled nearly 4000 registrations for 275 educational, experiential or entertainment programs designed to teach or showcase 13 different outdoor disciplines including paddling, cycling, wilderness first aid and backpacking to name just a few.
Alpine Shop’s vision as a company is to see “Generations Transformed Through Discovery Outdoors.” Those five words have driven the retailer to truly dedicate itself over the past 37 years to the “Growth of Outdoor Sports” in St. Louis and the Midwest because of the physical, emotional and spiritual changes that the outdoors can bring to every individual.
“We believe that experiencing the outdoors changes people for the better,” said Lisa Hollenbeck, co-owner of Alpine Shop. “It brings people a better understanding of themselves and what they can accomplish. It’s more than that, though. Look at the races this past year. The outdoors also give everyone a chance to have a lot of fun. That’s why this Retailer of the Year award means so much to us.”
The “races” refers to Alpine Shop’s most noticeable effort of the past year in the continued development of the Off-Road Racing League. Consisting of a total of five mountain bike races and four trail runs held at Castlewood State Park in St. Louis, the League brought in a total of nearly 1200 registrations – including over 200 newcomers and kids.
A video from the racing series is included at the bottom of this page.
About Alpine Shop
Alpine Shop began life in 1973 as a small climbing shop. Today, through its three locations in Kirkwood, Chesterfield and Columbia, Mo., it serves almost every type of outdoor enthusiast—be they backpackers, campers, cyclists, hikers, paddlers, skiers, snowboarders or climbers—with a friendly and knowledgeable staff, cutting edge products and a wide variety of how-to clinics for all activity levels. For a complete list of programs, please visit http://alpineshop.com.
About the SNEWS/Backpacker Magazine Retailer of the Year Awards
On Thursday, Jan. 19, 2012, during an awards celebration at the Red Door in Salt Lake City, Utah, SNEWS®, Backpacker Magazine and program sponsor Horny Toad honored six outdoor retailers as recipients of the 2012 Retailer of the Year Award, a recognition given annually to outdoor retailers who embody the spirit of entrepreneurship and who serve as visionaries for the outdoor market and leaders of the communities they serve. SNEWS President Michael Hodgson, Backpacker Editor in Chief Jonathan Dorn, and Horny Toad CEO Gordon Seabury will formally award one finalists named the title of “Retailer of the Year” and five other retailers are honored as best-in-class in the following categories: Online Retailer, Community, Growth of Outdoor Sports, Sustainable Business and Youth Involvement.