ST. LOUIS – Alpine Shop, a St. Louis-based and family-owned outdoor retailer, has signed a letter of intent to purchase The Pathfinder, a specialty outdoor store in Manhattan, Kansas, according to Alpine Shop’s owners, Russell “Holly” and Lisa Hollenbeck. As the fifth location for Alpine Shop, The Pathfinder will remain open during the transition period and will retain its name.
B
ill and Erma Riley opened The Pathfinder, a single-store operation, in 1975, specializing in gear and clothing for bicycling, backpacking, paddling, climbing, traveling, fly fishing and other outdoor activities. They celebrated 40 years in business earlier this year.
“We’re excited to be entering the Manhattan market with the purchase of The Pathfinder,” Russell Hollenbeck said. “When we entered the store for the first time, we immediately felt like we were walking into one of our own stores. That’s not something we take lightly. What Bill and Erma have created over the past 40 years here resonated with Lisa and me, and we’re looking forward to continuing that tradition.”
“Erma and I are delighted that our long time customers will continue to enjoy quality outdoor products and service with Alpine Shop own
ership,” The Pathfinder’s owner, Bill Riley said. “Lisa and Holly Hollenbeck are known to give very personal attention to maintaining high professional standards. We appreciate their high credibility in our outdoor industry and their many years of building successful customer relationships. We are confident our Manhattan area customers will be well satisfied with this transition.”
The Pathfinder, located at 304 Poyntz Avenue in downtown Manhattan, will become the Hollenbecks’ fifth retail store in early November, joining three Alpine Shop locations in Missouri and one in Illinois.
About Alpine Shop
What began in 1973 as a small climbing shop in Webster Groves, Mo., Alpine Shop now serves almost every type of outdoor enthusiast from backpackers, hikers, campers, paddlers, and cyclists, to snowboarders, skiers and adventure racers. The family-owned specialty outdoor retailer has consistently been named the Best Sporting Goods store in St. Louis for the past five years and also earned a 2012 national retailer of the year honor for its commitment to growth in outdoor sports.