I have been an Alpine Shop customer for years. They have a good selection for a smaller store, and…read morethe staff really know their stuff. Because they are a smaller shop, you get more hands-on customer service. They also offer classes and lectures for different outdoor activities (kayaking, hiking, etc.). It is a great place to go if you are a novice or a more experienced outdoorsman. My most recent experience at the Columbia Alpine Shop illustrates just why I like this place so much. My husband and I went in to get new hiking boots. We are getting into overnight backpacking, and need hiking boots that can stand up to long, multi-day hikes. A staff member (named Adam) approached us within a minute or so to see if we needed help. He then spent over and hour helping us try on and test various boots. Being an experienced backpacker, Adam had some personal recommendations on boots and was able to highlight in detail the pros and cons of each boot we tried. We had done some research going in, but Adam helped us make a much more educated choice. We were able to test the boots on a hill imitator Alpine Shop had in the boot section, and they even let us put on a pair of thicker socks (without buying them) to test fit. This is a friendly, laid-back shopping experience, and while inventory might not be as large as big chain stores, the service and expertise you get at Alpine Shop makes it my top choice for outdoor gear shopping in Columbia.

From the owner: In 1973, a climber, outdoor author and Army Map Agency employee in St. Louis by the name of Bob…read moreMooers, convinced Chouinard Equipment - the predecessor to outdoor industry giant Patagonia - to open him as a dealer. Mooers started a climbing shop in a small room upstairs from the home-winemaking shop he was moonlighting on the side. Within a month, climbing was outselling winemaking, which was soon abandoned, in a move to a new larger space.

Worst Dicks ever. None of the workers worked the check out line. I felt so bad for the one girl who…read morewas working. The three other workers avoided the cash out line and there was a long line of customers. I have no clue what they were doing because the rest of the store looked rough. Clothes were unfolded and things were miss placed. Lord help the world with the children workers now days.

Stopped in to use a gift card. Multiple employees asked if I needed any help. The lady at checkout…read morewas very friendly.

Unmatched selection value and service. I've only been a customer for a couple of years but have…read morebeen buying hunting, camping and survival gear for 30+ years. Midway USA has impressed me with several large purchases over the last couple of years. I'll continue to support them the way they have supported me and my needs and wants. A+

Ok, I have used them several times in the past without issue. They've been great until now…read more But I just recently tried to order some pistol magazines, and this is where it all fell apart. My state limits handgun capacity to 15 rounds. I needed a few mags and Midway was the first place that came to mind. Tried to order state-legal mags and they wouldn't allow it. I proceeded to live chat, and even linked them the actual state government legislation that clearly states the 15 round capacity limit. The rep then tried to place an order on his end for my zipcode. Since their info is wrong, of course he was unable to. "Restricted" he said. I pointed out the state legislation and even highlighted the specific text. "Our legal team prefers to er on the side of caution". At that point, the conversation was pretty much over. I knew it was going nowhere. Went to Brownell's and ordered 4x of the magazines in question without issue. I guess this is goodbye, Midway. And I won't look back.

Prices are WAY too high. I took my old army gear to donate some place else because this place has…read moreso much surplus that they can't even sell what they have. Another place that would sell them for a way cheaper price. if they aren't paying me for my donations, then why the hell are their prices "ridiculously" high!!??!

Supports MAGA. I've…read morebeen shopping at Mickey's since I was a Cub Scout. 35 years or so. Have purchased everything under the sun there: socks, boots, clothing, camping gear. On my most recent visit, however, I was dismayed to see MAGA hats on the shelf, and the owner walking around with a big Trump patch sewn to his vest. For a store that claims to support the police and military--who serve everyone equally--Mickey's sure has a funny way of showing it. Sorry, Mickey's, but I have many LGBTQ+ friends, as well as friends who aren't yet US Citizens. I also speak Spanish and have a vested interest in treating everyone kindly. Apparently you don't.

Sheels offers far more than your regular sporting goods store!! If you ask me, I can send every…read moreweekend here and never get bored because it's more of a local attraction than a store lol.. haha! The main attractions for me are the Ferris wheel, the aquarium entry area and the cafe (+ sweets store). However, they have so much more to offer. It has departments for all sorts of team sports, all types of outdoor and adventure sports like fishing or hunting, fitness, footwear, games, toys, apparel, home goods and more. Do not forget to have the pizza and fudge at the cafe after a long stroll at the store. Also on the second floor they have beautiful taxidermy animals areas which is a fantastic site. It can get busy on the weekends so plan your visit accordingly because it's hard to get parking outside the store. Overall it's a clean, huge store with super friendly staff and a must visit if you're in the area!!

An amalgamation of Dick's Sporting Goods, Bass Pro, and Great Wolf Lodge given birth to a…read morelove-child named Scheels. It's totally one part corporate, crisp, functional retail goods store, and another part taxidermy animals, rides, fudge, and hunting & fishing gear like you'd find at Bass Pro. We took our kids here on a winter break, gray day and it was a lot of fun. First off, there's a mini aquarium when you walk in -- it's nothing to write home about, but it gets the kids attention and they realize right away this is a fun store. From there, you can't miss the gigantic ferris wheel in the middle of the store. Gonna be real, it's fun and worth the wait but also a bit nerve wracking. Something is just odd about quietly swaying at the top of a department store quietly for such a long time. My daughter was like, "Dad, I'm scared to look down!" and all I could think was, "so am I, kid, so am I." We both agreed it's pretty fun once it gets going. There's also a little bowling area where you get five frames for a buck, and ditto to a little arcade game area as well. There's toy stores, outdoor goods, quality brands of clothes and outfitting, and really a nice answer to online shopping. In fact, it feels like malls used to feel in the 90's but a modern spin on everything. We did eat here but I'd say skip it. I didn't find anything I wanted and when I went to finish off my kids chicken tenders I was super underwhelmed and ended up pitching them. I will say at this time they carry Sylas & Maddy's ice cream (best IC in the city IMO) so that was a nice surprise treat. What more could you want if out shopping with the kids?! It's a great spot to kill a quiet afternoon.