Casual Adventure Closing After 61 Years In Arlington

ARLINGTON, VA — The outdoor retailer Casual Adventure will close after 61 years of family ownership on Washington Boulevard in Virginia Square, according to an email from the store's team.

The Stern family has run Casual Adventure since 1956 when Oscar Stern founded the business as a district grocery store. It then evolved to an Army-Navy surplus store before it became the outdoor, tactical and sporting goods store it is today.

"It’s no secret that the old retail model no longer works, so when we received a reasonable offer for the sale of our building, we decided the timewas ripe to again switch gears, by closing our store and focusing our future business through the internet and beyond," owner Eric Stern said in an email to Patch.

Online shopping has made the bricks-and-mortar retail business more and more challenging, although Arlington Magazine reports the family “has plans to reopen elsewhere in Northern Virginia in late summer or early fall, with a focus on corporate, league, military and government sales."

A company representative did not address any future plans the Stern family may have.

Casual Adventure will hold an "End of an Era" sale featuring their entire stock of clothing, outerwear, footwear, camping gear, travel accessories and sporting gear with storewide reductions up to 50 percent off.

"It’s been our great joy to have served our local communities for so many years: but times change and for everyone the time comes to move forward," Stern said.

Visit Casual Adventure one more time at 3451 N Washington Blvd. Hours are 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday to Friday; 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 12-5 p.m. Sunday.

Photo: Casual Adventure Facebook