Neptune Mountaineering in trouble

[Stuart .]

Neptune Mountaineering in Boulder is the one place to get away from the “outdoor lifestyle” retailers. I was surprised at the lack of inventory when I went in a month ago. I was told that they were expecting the fall / winter inventory any time. Yesterday I popped in and it looked like they’d been ransacked. The map stand was 80% empty. The Rab section was all gone, along with the racks and racks of down and synthetic clothing. They are well stocked with Hilleberg and Western Mountaineering, but not much more. The museum has been closed to save them $8k a month in rent. It came as a surprise to read this on the front page of the local newspaper this morning:

http://www.dailycamera.com/boulder-business/ci_30479274/boulders-neptune-mountaineering-facing-eviction-over-70k-unpaid

[Gary Dunckel]

Yes, Stuart, the mother company that bought the store from Gary Neptune 3 years ago must indeed be in trouble. Boulder was treated to the mother of all gear/clothing sales last May, when all the other stores (8 of them?) sent their unsold overstock to the Boulder store for liquidation. Our store apparently had enough room to do it, and of course Boulder has a lot more outdoor types than say, Topeka or Oklahoma City might.

The “museum” hasn’t gone away, but rather it has been put back like it was when Gary had the store–filling up every wall and corner. Those excellent photos, old gear, and artifacts actually belong to Gary, and he was generous to let the new store be the keepers of the treasure trove of mountaineering history. If the store closes, Gary will reclaim the stuff.

The thing about that store is that it has been iconic for Boulder since Gary started it in 1973. Catering to serious mountaineers and expedition people, the store carries no junk, just high quality everything to get one up Everest, Aconcagua, or Mt. Vinson. I talked with Dan Vardimis about what the mother company wanted to do with Neptune’s when they first bought it, and he said he had pretty much talked them into letting them operate like Gary had done. The company’s other stores sort of cater to more casual outdoor folks, selling lots of foo-foo clothing and picnic supplies, etc. If this company goes under, I hope they can sell it to someone else that can carry on the Neptune tradition.

[Roger Caffin]

more casual outdoor folks, selling lots of foo-foo clothing and picnic supplies,
I LOVE IT!

Cheers

[Paul Magnanti]

Neptune is also one the few stores to sell good quality Nordic backcountry ski gear. An increasingly rare niche.

 

[Greg Mihalik]

“Neptune is also one the few stores to sell good quality Nordic backcountry ski gear. An increasingly rare niche.”

I got my Asnes Vultures with Chili bindings there, a long, long time ago.

[Steven Paris]

I bought my first skis there when I was a student at CU! It was always worth it to walk or take the bus from campus.

[Stuart .]

I’ve been waiting for the annual Asnes shipment to come in, but no-one knows whether it’s even been paid for by Backwoods yet. That seems to be the crux of the matter – the parent company is struggling to pay its suppliers. This summer Neptune closed off the museum section, which also housed tents and sleeping bags, and it was being sectioned off for new retail space. That was due to finish last month, but work stopped before it was complete. And the repaving of the parking lot stretched from 10 days to over a month, reducing door traffic to a minimum.

I popped in right after posting the other day, and bought myself a Nordic BC setup. The staff are putting on a brave face, but they don’t believe there will be much more inventory coming in this season. Rab removed their displays and inventory before opening time one morning, and WM are no longer fulfilling orders unless they are prepaid. Much of the floor space is taken up by rental skis, that won’t get any use till we’ve had plenty more snow in the high country.

There’s talk of a local buyer stepping in and putting an offer to Backwoods. I hope that happens before it’s too late for Neptune. This is the diamond in the rough, or should that be smooth, of glamping stores locally.

 

[Stuart .]

Happy to say that Neptune was bought by the husband and wife team who own the US distribution rights for Sea to Summit. The store is being run independently of the other business, and inventory is back on the shelves. They never did get a shipment of Asnes skis this season, but the new owners are breathing new life into a store that was almost run into the ground by Backwoods. Thankfully the ethos of catering to outdoor athletes and serious enthusiasts seems to be continuing, so I’m hopeful we won’t have another generic lifestyle store with the same brands that everyone else carries.

[Author]

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