Active Endeavors – the outdoor gear, apparel and clothing retail business – is celebrating some business milestones. The retailer is getting set to celebrate its 25th year in Davenport and recently began a new chapter with a new business location in Coralville. Since about 2011, Active Endeavors’ Davenport home has been located at 3950 Elmore […]
Already a subscriber? Log in
Want to Read More?
Get immediate, unlimited access to all subscriber content and much more.
Learn more in our subscriber FAQ.
- Unparalleled business coverage of the Iowa City / Cedar Rapids corridor.
- Immediate access to subscriber-only content on our website.
- 52 issues per year delivered digitally, in print or both.
- Support locally owned and operated journalism.
Active Endeavors – the outdoor gear, apparel and clothing retail business – is celebrating some business milestones.
The retailer is getting set to celebrate its 25th year in Davenport and recently began a new chapter with a new business location in Coralville.
Since about 2011, Active Endeavors’ Davenport home has been located at 3950 Elmore Ave. – an ultra-busy location across the street from the Lowe’s home improvement store.
The 13,000-square-foot Davenport retail store with about 10 employees has been a great location for the business, said Marcus Anderson, manager at Active Endeavors for 10 years.
The outdoors, high-adventure retailer also is just coming off a busy, successful holiday shopping season. Two of the big sellers during the Christmas season were athletic wear and socks. “The socks are always a small, easy gift,” he said.
Other items that proved popular were: shoes, boots, water bottles, coats and jackets, backpacks and various clothing. Some of the most popular brands include North Face, Patagonia, Vuori and Hoka.
“We feel our job – our duty – is to provide new, fun brands to the Quad Cities,” he said.
Mr. Anderson added that a “good winter” with cold temperatures is often good for sales. A winter with temperatures in the 50s and 60s – the weather the Quad Cities region has experienced for much of January – is not so great. In fact, January and February tend to be a traditionally slow time for retail sales. That’s why Active Endeavors looks to spur more sales by offering specials and by bringing out the spring and summer items.
But perhaps the event that has had the greatest recent impact on retail sales is the end of the pandemic and the fact that many people are returning from work-at-home status to going back to the office. That shift back has meant many workers now need more appropriate clothing for the office.
“Things are starting to get back to business casual. People are wearing pants again,” Mr. Anderson, age 41, said with a laugh. Other active wear clothing options – such as shorts – have not been hurt in the post-pandemic era, he added.
In addition to the wardrobe change, one of the other big shifts in recent years has been the continued popularity and growth of online shopping. Many of Active Endeavors’ customers shop for items online, but the brick-and-mortar stores are still necessary, Mr. Anderson said.
“The vast majority (of our shoppers) still shop in our stores. … People still want to touch and feel and try stuff on,” he added.
Meanwhile, Active Endeavors has gone through a major change in the Iowa City area. The business has a history there dating back to the 1980s when business founder Mark Weaver and his wife, Eadie, opened the outdoor gear and apparel store. The Weavers retired in 2018.
Matt Ostrom, who has owned Active Endeavors in Davenport since 2004, then bought the Iowa City business.
Last year, he moved Active Endeavors from its longtime home at 138 S. Clinton St. in downtown Iowa City to a temporary site and then eventually to its new permanent home in the fall at 920 E. 2nd Ave, Suite 110, Coralville. That new home is part of the Iowa River Landing (IRL) – a 180-acre mixed-use development in a former industrial zone near Interstate 80. The IRL also is home to the Xtream Arena, Von Maur, Homewood Suites and other businesses.
“It’s been going exceptionally well. We’re thrilled to have this new start with our business,” said Dave Nerad, who has been the general manager of Active Endeavors for almost 25 years.
He added that his customers especially like the ample parking, the proximity to I-80 and many other businesses, and, of course, the many offerings provided by Active Endeavors.
Some of the big sellers at the Coralville store include footwear and anything to do with travel.
“That’s important here because in Iowa City everybody is getting ready to go somewhere or just returning from a trip,” he added.
The Davenport Active Endeavors store is open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Mondays through Saturdays; and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays. It can be reached at: (563) 441–9488. The Coralville store is open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays; and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sundays. The phone number is (319) 337-9444. For more information, visit the company website at www.activeendeavors.com.
