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A new outdoor clothing and supply store opened in Mercer Village earlier this month, making it the latest addition to the neighborhood’s burgeoning retail sector.

Rodeo Beach outfitters store officially opened for business Feb. 1 in the storefront previously occupied by The Bike Store.

Owned by local entrepreneurs Christyanne Gaspar and J.J. Hobbs, Rodeo Beach’s flagship location marks a first for the five-year-old online retailer based out of Tampa, Fla.

The store is located at 1305 Linden Avenue in the same building as Francar’s Buffalo Wings and Georgia Public Broadcasting.

Gasper said the store is a part of the company’s ‘click-to-brick’ program that aims at expanding the company’s presence within the local community while supplementing its web-based retailing site, www.rodeobeach.com.

“This store will tailor to the needs of the local community, both Macon and Mercer, and will offer a huge selection of gear for everything from the beach to the Friday night party,” said Gaspar, a native of Macon who attended high school at nearby Mt. de Sales Academy.  “It’s truly where the beach meets the west”.

As an outfitter store, Rodeo Beach carries an array of outdoor brands, from popular Hawaiian beach lines like Dakine, Sanuk, Scott, Ripcurl, Rainbow Sandals and Freestyle, to western brands such as Ariat boots, Tilley, and Barmah hats.

The store also offers eyewear and other outdoor accessories, ranging from Nixon watches to Sigg waterbottles and Pepper’s sunglasses.

The new store will still sell bicycles from established retailers such as Trek, Gary Fisher, Felt and Townie. It also will carry bicycle spare parts, accessories and cycling clothing.

“We still have bikes here and are happy to service them, but we wanted to change the focus of this location from biking to gear and accessories that students can use on an everyday basis,” Gaspar said.

Gaspar said the transition of the space from a complete bike shop to an outfitters store happened faster than he expected.

“We hope to be up to full speed by April, but I’m impressed with what we have on display so far,” Gaspar said.

Brown and black leather boots and straw and leather hats line the wall, and beachwear is scattered throughout the store.

“Being a part of this community is really what is important. We’re so excited to be a part of Macon, and Mercer has helped us out tremendously through this process,” Gaspar said.

Lately, Gaspar has been busy helping customers in the already popular store.

“Once we get established here in Macon, we hope to put out smaller retail spots near other colleges to meet the needs of those communities, but right now, we’re completely focused on this market,” Gaspar said.

A formal ribbon-cutting ceremony for the store will take place in Mercer Village on Thursday, March 17.

To contact writer J. Andrew Lockwood, email [email protected]