Amazing shop! We stopped in for a tire repair (for a friend) and as we waited I was casually…read moreshopping for my first bike. We spoke with Ryan and Paul - we were immediately impressed with their service and kindness. Ryan showed me a few different bikes and let me test-drive them. I left with my dream used bike at an insanely awesome price. All-around perfect experience! Thanks to the Switchback team!!

Absolutely fantastic experience!…read more I hadn't even heard of Switchback before until a coworker recommended it to me, and they've already made a return customer out of me. My usual bike shop was quoting 6 weeks out for a tuneup, but Switchback was able to get to me in 3 weeks, and boasted a 24-hour turnaround once they had the bike. Sure enough, I dropped my bike off on Wednesday afternoon and got a text on Thursday afternoon saying that my bike was ready. Everyone in the shop was friendly and professional, and I felt like the price was very fair for the service provided. I felt listened to when I was describing the issues with my bike, and I'm happy to report that every single concern I had been resolved by the time I picked it back up. To top it all off, I took a test ride when I got home, and I don't think I've had a ride that smooth since I first bought the bike. The gear shifts were buttery smooth, there was no squeaking or rattling from the chain, and my brakes were firm and responsive. Needless to say, I've found a new usual bike shop. Thanks, Switchback!

The store itself is clean and organized, but the staff is unhelpful. There were multiple signs…read more(outside and inside the store) that said to please go to the front desk for any snowboard sales, so we did. The employee we asked about snowboards seemed confused when we went up to her to ask about them. Another employee pulled up a paper pad " waitlist " and told us there was only one person ahead of us and someone would come find us. No one ever came up to us or called our names despite being on this waitlist. After looking around the store for a while, we sat on the couches by the front desk to wait. No one came up to us for a long time, so we got up to the front desk and they asked if we needed help. We said we were on the waitlist, then the younger employees looked at an older employee and asked if he could help us. We were waiting around for no reason, which was frustrating, with 5+ employees standing around doing nothing.

Relying on children to get information from on expensive shoes is an epic fail. Selection is…read moreabysmal. I really wanted to try some Lowa shoes out here but as usual, trying to find a physical store with a good selection is impossible. I have tried talking twice to people here on the phone. But the young people these places hire that likely can't even afford some of these boots puts us in an area of non existent expertise. If you do not provide good customer service at a physical store you have absolutely no way of stealing the sales the internet will take from you. Especially when the customer service at the companies come with very specific details that described the pros and cons of individual shoe types.

I had a very positive experience at this location. I was specifically helped a ton by Jay and Koda…read more(I hope I spelled that right). They answered all my questions and were extremely patient as I was buying a fishing pole. I love giving credit to exceptional customer service, and they provided it!

They have a lot of merchandise, not enough employees. Quite understaffed. I like their boots but…read moreunfortunately are very expensive and don't have them in size wide. More on the employees, they will have some stand around helping you find the item you want, so thats nice.

I ordered some snow pants online. I never got them so I went to Dick's online and they cancelled…read moremy order with no notification. They did not send me an email or notify me that they cancelled my order. If I had known they cancelled the order, I would have gone to another sporting goods store. Total lack of customer service.

Just your basic dicks sporting goods. Clean and well organized and had what we needed. Like most…read moresport stores it was a little steep but never had a problem getting what I need from one of these

Public Thread is a super cool, woman-owned business that creates items from leftover industrial…read moretextiles and other material that would otherwise be thrown into a landfill. I attended an event over the summer that had a small market set up, and Public Thread was there with some products. I bought a "cube" made of woven fabric that's lined with upcycled billboard material that is water resistant and easy to clean - just wipe it off with a damp cloth. I use this as a travel dopp kit to hold my toiletries and makeup. The fabrics they use are all different prints, which makes it fun to browse their inventory as it's always changing. Public Thread doesn't currently have a public storefront, but you can find some of their items at the marketplace at Pack Elephant downtown by the Studio Park plaza, or you can order online from their website. I love the large duffel bags and small cross body bags. Public Thread items would make a great gift for the holidays, or any time!

The intersection of design, innovation, and recycling at Public Thread is pretty cool. Their…read morefacility houses production, materials, and stock, with their end products created right on site in Grand Rapids. A wide array of remnant and surplus textiles offer inspiration to their designers and Public Thread creates sustainable, stylish goods as a result. If you want to support US-made products and fair wages, buying through Public Thread is a good place to start.

The staff at this REI are so incredibly attentive, knowledgable, and helpful! I have come in for a…read morevariety of different needs over the years and I have always received incredible advice and information from the staff. As a company, I have enjoyed REI's sustainability and environmental advocacy and dedication. I would recommend doing the lifetime membership. It's only $30 and iirc you get a $30 voucher after joining. This gets you future discounts but most importantly, access to the physical and online re-selling platform through REI. This is a great way to sustainably buy and sell items through a reputable source. I often use this resource and have been really grateful that it exists.

Some REI's have some really bad attitude. This one does not! I've been here twice and I really…read moreenjoy the people.

We were walking around the neighborhood and figured we should stop in to Paddle North since we'd…read morenever been. It's a Minnesota-based company that specializes in inflatable paddle boards, utility docks, and apparel. I'm not super outdoorsy but I was curious about what they had to offer. We were greeted right away when we walked in and the employee working told us a bit about the products. The inflatable items are really cool and look like wood. I was fascinated by the utility docks, which are basically inflatable floating pads that you can hang out on in a lake or a large pool. They even have one that has a dog-friendly access point for your furry friends. The prices seemed fair to me, but I'm not an expert on these types of goods. They also sell clothing and accessories, and even opened a pop-up Christmas tree lot in December 2023. Definitely a great spot for outdoorsy water people!

From the owner: We are a midwest water sports brand focused on making getting on water easier. We make paddle…read moreboards, inflatable floats, kayaks, apparel, and more.