With almost daily reports of retail closures around the country, an invite to the opening of anything other than a Bass Pro Shop or Buc-ees superstore tends to get my attention. That’s why I didn’t mind a trip to Atlanta, Georgia for a media preview of Sitka Gear’s new retail location.

The location, at The Battery in Atlanta, is a hot retail spot-primarily because it’s also the home of Truist Park -the home of the Atlanta Braves baseball team. Sitka’s about as close to the Braves as one can get without buying a ticket to one of their home games.

Media directions may as well have read “directly down the left field line of Truist Park.” Sitka's located directly on the inbound path of Braves baseball fans and the outbound lane for MLB hitters capable of putting baseballs out via the power alley.

Like the rest of The Battery, Sitka’s location is sleek, clean and modern. Unlike most others, however, it offers not one single hat, shirt, jacket or other apparel bearing the ubiquitous “A” logo of the Braves.

There were several styles of hats on sale throughout the store including a “dead duck” (top) for waterfowls. But the high-performance outdoor gear and apparel there is all for more participatory activities than watching Atlanta Braves baseball (bottom).

The Bozeman, Montana, headquartered company made its name providing high-quality hunting gear designed for the tougher mountain-style hunting of the far west. But over the years, the company has built a reputation with Southern hunters -especially waterfowlers- for gear that isn’t inexpensive, but is built to perform season-after-season.

Sitka’s gear is prominently displayed and offered in both high-end retail locations and big boxes throughout the Southeast. So, I wondered, why a one-off retail site in Atlanta?

Customer research, it seems, indicates the location would be ideal for a retail location. Sitka looked -carefully- at the idea before moving forward. Their only “real” retail location is located in Bozeman. That’s essentially where they experiment with displays, products, product mixes and sample customer acceptance. There’s a second location in Dallas, Texas, but it was more a product of a fortuitous opportunity than Atlanta. The Battery location just might be the best location for a one-off business than I could imagine.

Even in a city the size of Atlanta metro, there are few locations that offer year-round access to an affluent customer base and the access to an equally affluent crowd attending a premiere regional sporting event. Atlanta Braves baseball isn’t just for Atlanta residents. The Battery and the area surrounding it is flooded with visitors during baseball season-in addition to already being a prime shopping destination.

Not all Sitka gear is designed to get you afield. The new location also has a wide selection of what they call their “Everyday Collection”- everything from casual jackets and luggage (top) to tee shirts and lightweight outerwear (bottom).

I didn’t stick around for the opening day, but more than 1,900 people apparently decided to check it out. Only the first 100 got promised “goodie bags” - but that didn’t slow traffic it seems.

Seems the promise of music, fun, drinks and hourly prizes were enough enticement to busy up The Battery for nine hours last Saturday.

Today, few business reports regarding brick and mortar locations talk about openings. Unfortunately, most news regarding specific locations reads more like obituaries than birth announcements.

The most recent news from Visa Outdoors’ Revelyst brand, for example, announces the closure of facilities in Petaluma, California; Overland Park, Kansas; Eagle, Colorado; and Madison, Mississippi. Those locations are the former homes of QuietKat, CamelBak, Bushnell and Primos Hunting were all formerly located in those respective locations.Now they’re becoming parts of a reorganization scheme that separates Revelyst brands into two categories: “power” and “challenger.”

As always, we’re watching, and we’ll keep you posted.

— Jim Shepherd