Columbia Sportswear Company Employee Store — Attraction in Richmond

This is an employee store for Columbia Sportswear. Although my neither myself or my wife are in employees of Columbia, we got to shop here as they were having a teacher appreciation event where they were offering an additional 10% off their already 40-50% off discount on all items in the store. You will need to have an invitation for the event to shop here or I believe they will allow veterans and first responders in to enjoy the discounted shopping. There is a fenced in parking lot where you have to go through a security gate, but just tell them you are going to Columbia and they will let you through and point you in the right direction to get to the store as there are other companies here.

They had offerings from Columbia, Mountain Hard Wear and PrAna. There were a good mix of items, clothing, shoes, etc for all your outdoor needs. If you can’t find an item or size, they have a kiosk where you can order and have it shipped at the same discounted price.

My wife and I ended up purchasing more than we really needed or wanted, but it was so hard to pass up the deals! I hope my wife can get invited to another...

Been to the Columbia ES a few times now. Came again since my company had access certain times of the year.

Selection was ok. My family was able to find a few things. I was mainly looking for t shirts (I bought quite a few last time I came in), but they didn't have the same ones anymore. I ended up buying a pair of waterproof shoes though!

If you don't see anything in store, you can also get the discount and order on their computers there.

Staff should be trained a bit more. Simple questions of waterproof or not were not able to be answered. We had to chase people to get help. Maybe short staffed that day. There are bathrooms inside.

At checkout, I asked how people could get passes normally. They mentioned you can get passes by spending a minimum $ value at Babaloo Cafe, Golden Gate Bistro, and Assemble Marketplace. I have yet to test this, but a simple call would work if you did have interest in getting day passes.

Lots of parking on site.

All in all, always a nice shopping spree for my party whenever I go!

Follow the adventure...

Great deals, if you can get in. Entry is restricted to Columbia employees or people holding guest passes.

One exception to this is if you are a veteran and have a veteran stamp on your ID, or a letter from CalVet attesting to your status. I am not sure if they accept a DD-214.

If you do gain entry, you will enjoy some amazing deals on all Columbia brands. If you can't find your size in something you like, there are kiosks where you can order what you need at the same discount.

You don't need a guest pass for returns, and they allow you back in the store to find a replacement or shop for something else.

There is plenty of parking. There are slow-charge charging stations, but the last time I was there they were blocked off. I am not sure if that is a permanent situation.

You are also close to the Rosie The Riveter Museum and a walking path...