GoLite Warehouse Sale in Boulder This Weekend!

GoLite's awesome semi-annual warehouse sale is this weekend!

Friday, April 23
8am-8pm

Saturday, April 24

9am-5pm

Sunday, April 25

9am-5pm

6230 Lookout Road

Boulder, CO 80301

I've been going to this unbelievable warehouse sale for several years now, since it was in the GoLite office truck port and parking lot. It's always been worth the drive to Gunbarrel during lunchbreak, and it's usually worth the wait in line at the door.

In fact, the wait line at the door has been almost empty the last few times I've gone. That's not because the event is less popular, but because the GoLite team got smart and realized that you want people waiting once they've committed to the purchase, not before they've had the chance to sample the wares.

This is a well run sale with good merch and good prices. GoLite rents out several thousand square feet of empty office space and fills it with tables, racks, and bins of perfectly good merchandise that is still in season. I haven't bought a large quantity of stuff there -- maybe 3-5 items -- but they've always been retail ready and never cosmetically flawed or wonkily cut.

GoLite has been consistent about offering this sale and they've promoted it well, which means the community knows what to expect -- it's becoming local tradition to lighten our wallets for lightweight gear. It's easy to find and easyish to park. The sale itself, though it can be ungodly hot during the summer when the office space has no AC, is not so crowded as to be elbowingly unpleasant, but just crowded enough to inspire you to lust for gear, shop with a glint in your eye, paw through the bins, and lose your inhibition and DIY a dressing room.

BUT! Man, the checkout line can be brutal. The price of no line in the door is a long line at the register. This is my kind of shopping, though -- I want to be convinced I really need the gear and really like the price before I'll commit to a half hour checkout line. I'm not sure what GoLite can do but add to its existing battery of 12 cash registers. They've got all the discount pricing in a nice POS database and all the employees (poor bastards) seem to know what they're doing. It's just that most of the people who go to the sale seem to buy many items, which takes time to ring up.

If you can find a designated sucker shopper, give them a print out of the gear you want from the GoLite website with your size preference and two color options then make sure you're accessible by phone. You might need to bribe them first or apologize later, so think about how you'll thank Geeves when s/he gets back to the office. And whatever you do, act thrilled with what they got for you, even if it's the wrong color or doesn't fit. It can be agonizing to make a purchasing decision for yourself in the midst of a warehouse sale much less make a judgment call for someone else. So don't be an ingrate. Accept effusively, pay promptly, and sneak back to the sale later to get what you wanted.

(But don't try to exchange without a receipt! Those poor warehouse sale staffers are harried enough from the frenzied crowds, being on their feet all day, trying to help edgy shoppers find just the right size and color shirt at bargain prices, and keeping one eye peeled for shoplifters. Just suck up the loss and shop for yourself next time!)

In the past, GoLite has had a price list available. I'll see if I can score one and post it here. Check back on Friday afternoon.

Obviously, the prices are pretty incredible -- that 30-90% off price range is legit, though most gear seems to be in the 50-60% off range. My favorite piece of "warehouse wear" is this Wisp Wind Shirt, which I bought at the sale for $20 ($30 off) and have since found to be key gear for running in the Colorado springtime. 

Update: Here are the price lists! (Click to enlarge.)