Longtime Fresno Sporting Goods Store is Closing After Nearly 70 Years in Business

Herb Bauer Sporting Goods, a longtime Fresno favorite for outdoor gear, is closing after 68 years in business.

Opened in 1950 by Herb Bauer, the original store was located near Blackstone and Belmont avenues and sold liquor along with hunting and fishing supplies.

Over the years, the store expanded as people’s interest in the outdoors grew. It moved to Blackstone near Sierra Avenue in 1980 and became one of the go-to places in the city for snowboarders and wakeboarders. The store carried kayaks and firearms, along with gear for camping and fly fishing.

In recent years, the store also faced intense competition from major sporting goods stores, including Dick’s and the recently opened Sportsman’s Warehouse.

Barry Bauer, president of Herb Bauer, declined to talk about the store’s closure Tuesday, saying he will reveal more Feb. 1 when the store’s going-out-of-business sale begins.

According to a story in The Business Journal, Bauer said he is retiring from the retail business. He took over the store from father Herb Bauer in 1988 along with siblings Reggie and Sheryle.

Moving into the Herb Bauer’s space will be Turner’s Outdoorsman, a Southern California-based chain of 21 stores. On its website, Turner’s bills itself as “California’s leading hunting, shooting, and fishing specialty stores.”

Barry Bauer of Herb Bauer Sporting Goods in Fresno is seen in a 2013 file photo. The store is closing after 68 years in business. Fresno Bee file

Robert Rodriguez: 559-441-6327, @FresnoBeeBob