The Meeks, who had ridden other ups and downs in the local economy, simply couldn't hold on. It didn't help that sports gear super stores, such as Gart Sports, moved to town. But Meek wasn't blaming large retailers for his fall in fortunes. He wasn't blaming himself, either. The public and its buying habits have changed, he said with a shrug.
Price is an even more important factor.
Meek bought the family-owned business, with its distinctive flying duck, in 1980. His father, Bill, began the business with two partners back in 1956. The store was a longtime staple of the Uptown Shopping Center, changing its address only once to move a few doors down to a choicer location in the city's well-known shopping strip. When his father ran the business, the store didn't just offer sports and hunting gear. But there also were outboard motors, a complete bicycle shop and a hobby section devoted to model airplanes and the like.