If you walked past your local Orvis store recently and saw “Going Out of Business” signs, it’s easy to assume the worst. But those signs are telling only part of the story — and a lot of people are drawing the wrong conclusion.
Here’s what’s actually happening: which stores are closing, why Orvis made this call, and what customers can still expect from the brand going forward.
Orvis Is Not Shutting Down as a Company
Let’s get the most important point out of the way first. Orvis is not going out of business.
Yes, a large number of stores are closing. But the company itself is continuing to operate — with remaining retail locations, its ecommerce website, and a network of over 550 retail partners across the country.
One Orvis employee addressed the confusion directly in a video discussing the closures: “We’re not going out of business. Orvis plans to continue without the 36 stores that are closing.”
The confusion is understandable. When a local store runs a “Going Out of Business” sale to clear inventory before closing, customers naturally assume the whole brand is collapsing. That’s not what’s happening here. Those signs refer to individual locations shutting down — not the company folding.
What Orvis Actually Announced
In October 2025, Orvis confirmed it would close 31 retail locations and 5 outlet stores across the United States. That’s roughly half of its U.S. store footprint, which currently sits at around 70 locations.
Many of these closures are scheduled to be completed by the end of 2025. Some stores have a confirmed last day of business listed as December 24, 2025. A handful of locations will wrap up into early 2026.
Orvis president Simon Perkins communicated the changes directly to customers in some markets. Shoppers in Seattle, for example, received a letter from Perkins informing them that their local Orvis store would be closing — a market that will lose its only Orvis location entirely.
This is a planned, structured restructuring with a defined timeline. It is not a sudden shutdown or a company in freefall.
The Two Reasons Orvis Cited for the Closures
Orvis didn’t just quietly close stores. Simon Perkins publicly named two key drivers behind the decision.
1. Tariffs
Perkins specifically pointed to an “unprecedented tariff landscape” as a major factor. Rising import costs make it harder for a brand like Orvis to maintain a wide physical retail footprint and stay profitable. When your product costs go up and margins shrink, running 70 stores becomes harder to justify.
2. Strategic Refocusing
The second reason is about where Orvis wants to focus its energy going forward. The company is pulling back from broader lifestyle apparel and doubling down on what it’s actually known for: fly-fishing gear, wingshooting equipment, and outdoor experiences.
Some older product lines are being phased out as part of this shift. That said, Orvis is not abandoning apparel entirely — the scope is being reduced and realigned, not eliminated. Fox Business reports the company plans to invest in “gear, apparel, outdoor experiences, and conservation efforts” as part of this new chapter.
This is a pattern you see across legacy retailers: cut physical stores, exit underperforming categories, and focus resources where the brand has the most strength and customer loyalty. Think of it like an airline cutting unprofitable routes. The airline isn’t shutting down — it’s deciding where it actually makes sense to fly.
Which Stores Are Closing and Which Are Staying Open
If you’re trying to figure out whether your local store is affected, here’s a general picture based on available reporting as of late 2025.
Stores Confirmed as Closing
Closing locations include stores in Huntsville, AL; Pasadena, CA; Roseville, CA; and Cherry Creek, CO. Several outlet locations are also on the list, including stores in Lancaster, Dawsonville, Freeport, San Marcos, and Myrtle Beach.
As mentioned, some markets — like Seattle — are losing their only Orvis store, which means no local in-person option will remain.
Stores Confirmed as Staying Open
On the other side, several locations are confirmed to remain open after the restructuring. These include stores in Birmingham, AL; Darien and Avon, CT; Alpharetta and Atlanta, GA; Manchester, VT; and Jackson Hole, WY.
Two outlet locations will also continue operating, along with the full ecommerce site.
If you want to verify the status of your specific store, check directly with Orvis or look for updated store lists. The situation was still evolving through late 2025, so confirm before making a trip.
What This Means for Orvis Customers
The impact depends entirely on how you shop.
If you rely on a local Orvis store for in-person services — fly-fishing classes, gear fittings, expert advice — and that store is on the closing list, you’re losing something real. Local fly shops offer a level of hands-on service that a website can’t replicate.
If you mostly shop online or buy Orvis products through other retailers, you’re largely unaffected. Orvis products are available through more than 550 retail partners nationwide, including larger chains like Bass Pro and Sportsman’s Warehouse. The ecommerce site remains fully operational.
For customers who live near a confirmed open location, the changes may actually improve the experience over time — fewer stores often means more focused inventory, better staffing, and clearer brand identity at each location.
Is This a Sign of Deeper Financial Trouble?
This is the question a lot of people are asking, and it’s fair to ask. Closing half your stores sounds alarming.
But there’s no public evidence of bankruptcy, insolvency, or a forced liquidation. No credible reporting suggests Orvis is being sold or is on the verge of collapsing. The closure plan has a defined timeline, leadership is communicating directly with customers, and the company continues to talk about future investment in its core categories.
For business context, shrinking a store network doesn’t always mean a brand is failing. Sometimes it means a company finally stopped doing things that weren’t working. Orvis has been operating since 1856 — it’s one of the oldest outdoor retailers in the country. That kind of brand doesn’t disappear quietly.
Whether this restructuring is enough to set Orvis up for long-term success is a different question. Fly-fishing is a specialty market. Competing online against a flood of cheaper gear is hard. But the company appears to be making deliberate choices rather than reacting to a crisis it can’t control.
For anyone tracking retail business strategy, resources like Business Bezel cover how brands navigate these kinds of pivots and what the signals actually mean for long-term viability.
What to Watch Going Forward
The announced closures give a clear picture of where Orvis stands through early 2026. Beyond that, a few things are worth watching.
- Does Orvis continue investing in fly-fishing and wingshooting product development, or does the product line continue to shrink?
- Does the retail partner network hold steady, or do distribution gaps start to appear?
- Are there further store closures beyond the 36 already announced?
- How does the ecommerce operation perform as the physical footprint shrinks?
As of late 2025, no additional closures beyond this round have been publicly announced. That could change — but right now, there’s no evidence pointing in that direction.
The Bottom Line
Orvis is closing 31 retail stores and 5 outlet locations — roughly half its U.S. presence — by early 2026. The reasons are a combination of tariff pressure and a deliberate choice to focus on core categories rather than try to compete across the board.
The company is not going out of business. It’s getting smaller and more focused. Whether that strategy works long-term remains to be seen, but the immediate picture is a restructuring, not a collapse.
If your local store is closing, check the Orvis website for the nearest open location or explore retail partners in your area. And if you were relying on that store for community and expertise around fly-fishing, it may be worth finding a local independent fly shop to fill the gap.
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