Bob Ward’s Sports & Outdoors to Close Helena Store by 2025 Year-End
Bob Ward’s Sports & Outdoors announced its Helena location at 3323 Dredge Drive will close by December 31, 2025, with a storewide liquidation sale running through year‑end and gift cards remaining valid. Leadership said the move reflects aligning operations with market conditions; other Montana stores in Missoula, Bozeman and Hamilton will remain open and company officials are assisting Helena staff with job placement options.
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Bob Ward’s Sports & Outdoors will close its Helena store at 3323 Dredge Drive before the end of 2025, the company has confirmed. The retailer plans a storewide liquidation sale that will continue through December 31, 2025, and has stated that gift cards purchased at the Helena location will remain valid after the store closes.
Company leadership framed the decision as part of a broader effort to align operations with market conditions. The announcement made clear that Bob Ward’s will keep its other Montana locations operating in Missoula, Bozeman and Hamilton. The Helena closure means the downtown and northside retail mix will lose one of the region’s larger independent outdoor and sporting goods retailers at a time when local shopping patterns and competition from national chains and online sellers are reshaping the market.
For employees at the Dredge Drive store, the company said it is assisting with job placement options. While the company has not released a specific headcount for the Helena staff affected, the retailer’s commitment to placement support suggests an effort to reduce the transitional impact on workers. The timeline gives both employees and customers nearly a year to adjust: merchandise will be discounted through the liquidation sale, and cardholders can use gift cards at other Bob Ward’s locations while the Helena store remains open.
Local economic implications include a reduction in in‑town retail employment and the potential for a small decline in sales tax receipts tied to that location once it closes. Helena shoppers who have relied on Bob Ward’s for outdoor gear, hunting and fishing supplies, and related services may now travel to the company’s remaining Montana stores or turn to alternative retailers and online outlets. For small suppliers and service providers that partnered with the store, the closure could mean lost business or the need to seek new retail partners.
As the county seat and a community with strong outdoor recreation ties, Helena will likely see market adjustments rather than wide disruption: the nearly one‑year notice allows competing local retailers and regional chains time to respond by adjusting inventory, service offerings, and hiring. Residents planning purchases should be aware of the liquidation sales through year‑end and the continued validity of gift cards, and employees affected by the closure should contact company representatives about the job placement assistance the company has pledged.
