Sports stuff on sale as Belleville store transitions to hunting, shooting supplies

With many businesses struggling over the past 18 months during the COVID-19 pandemic, we’ve gotten to a point that when we see signs in a store’s windows advertising a liquidation sale, some of us wonder if the story is closing.

This is not the case with Curt Smith’s, the longtime Belleville business. But it has been in the midst of change for some time.

My editor saw signs for a liquidation sale in the windows at Curt Smith’s on East Main Street and asked me to check it out. A quick peek at curtsmithsports.com revealed that they were clearing out their athletic equipment and other merchandise to make room for hunting and shooting gear, a transition that began months ago.

I stopped by the downtown Belleville shop to see what was what.

It’s been awhile since I’ve visited what was then Curt Smith’s Sporting Goods. The last time I was there, I remember the front of the store being filled with baseball, football and soccer equipment and athletic clothing and shoes, so it was a bit of a shock to see wall-to-wall hunting rifles and ammo, gun safes, and a lot more camouflage.

I spoke to Tom Petrekovich, the manager of what is now Curt Smith’s Outdoors, about the changes. He said that it’s “been in the works for a while.”

Transitioning to a focus on sales of hunting and shooting equipment has been happening since Curt Smith’s Outdoors, previously located at 13 N. Church St. in Belleville, consolidated with the company’s flagship location at 213 E. Main St., Belleville, in May 2018.

Now, Curt Smith’s Sporting Goods team-sales side of the business is ending, said Petrekovich, adding that many sales reps have been lost to competitors over the years. Selling athletic equipment has become increasingly difficult with availability through the internet.

Petrekovich said that during the pandemic, “we were allowed to stay open,” that gun shops were considered essential. He said that sales for hunting supplies were good, but no one was buying athletic equipment since sports were canceled.

“It’s down to the nitty gritty now,” said Petrekovich. Much of the athletic gear has been sold, but baseball gloves, basketballs, football equipment and athletic jackets and some clothing are still available.

Curt Smith’s has been family owned and operated since 1946. For information, call 618-509-5905 or visit curtsmithsoutdoors.com.