‘Beyond exhausted’: Boise outdoor gear store will shutter its business after 10 years
Editor’s note: An earlier version of this story attributed a social media post about the store’s closing to founder Tyson Stellrecht. An updated version of the post clarified that it was an email of Stellrecht’s that was shared on Reddit.
A Boise store dedicated to selling new and used outdoor recreation gear will close its doors after a “terrible winter,” supply chain and staffing issues, and concerns over its downtown location.
Boise Gear Collective, 671 S. Capitol Blvd., is set to close May 1, according to an email sent by founder Tyson Stellrecht. The store, which was formerly called Backcountry Pursuit, opened in 2012. On Friday, it had “going out of business” signs on all of its doors.
Stellrecht did not immediately return requests for comment, and the announcement of the store’s closing has not yet been shared on its website or Facebook page. An email sent to consignors urged them to use funds on their store accounts as store credit rather than cashing out.
“Right now we have no cash. Literally. Technically, it would be a crime for passing bad checks if I wrote them when I knew there wasn’t money in the bank,” Stellrecht wrote. “I am imploring you to use it as store credit. At this time that’s the only guarantee on how you will get paid.”
Stellrecht said consignors could also wait until April to cash out, when the store will likely have sold much of its inventory.
Staffing, inventory contributed to Boise store closing
In his email, Stellrecht detailed a number of contributing factors but said the store “didn’t have enough cash to survive” a rough winter.
“When it hasn’t snowed in months and we are sitting on literal pallets full of unsold skis, the cash just dried up,” Stellrecht wrote.
He said “nearly all” the store’s staff walked out within 24 hours when he had to bump a payroll deadline from Friday to the following Monday.
“I just hit a point that I couldn’t run a deficit anymore,” he wrote.
Stellrecht also said supply chain shortages contributed to the decision to shutter the business. In his post, he said he has been told to expect only 20% of the bikes ordered for summer, which is a major revenue driver for the store.
Booming growth downtown was another factor. Stellrecht said the storefront “is likely going up for sale in the near or semi-near future, and the dirt is worth more than the building.
“Soon there will be another construction crane and some multi-story something getting built here. The likelihood of us losing our address and home is near certain,” he said.
Stellrecht said he has already had offers from people hoping to invest in Boise Gear Collective or help keep it afloat. He noted that the store had record-high sales in December, followed by a record low last month. Stellrecht said he believes the business has “solid bones” and is profitable, but cash flow became an issue. He was “beyond exhausted” trying to keep things afloat, he said.
The store will be open from noon to 6 p.m. on Thursdays through Sundays.
“If you valued what we have done here for the past 10 years, come support me and this business you have loved one last time,” Stellrecht wrote. “We have a literal ton of inventory to sell off. Yes, it’s on sale.”
Read Stellrecht’s full email here.
