SugarWolf Outdoor Exchange, a new locally owned outdoor gear & apparel consignment retailer, is coming soon to Downtown Lafayette in the former Teche Gift Shoppe, located at 501 Jefferson Street.
SugarWolf is owned by an outdoorsy couple, Allison Nederveld and Wendy Dorfman. Growing up in Lafayette Allison’s mother worked for DDA/DLU for most of her life. Allison says that Downtown is a part of her blood and when she and her wife moved back to the area, they knew that they wanted to open their own store downtown.
In 2018, Wendy closed her previous business to hike up the Appalachian Trail. Allison says that she was able to join her for parts of that journey. During that time their trail names were Wolfpack and Sugar Mama. Wendy’s trail name, “Wolfpack”, derived from her wolf covered fanny pack and Allison was given the trail name “Sugar Mama” for obvious reasons, as she states. Those names combined are how the name SugarWolf came to be.
Wendy Dorfman (Left) and Allison Nederveld (Right).
The Appalachian experience for Wendy & Allison changed their lives forever. From that moment on the duo knew that they wanted to center their lives around the outdoors and pursue a mission to help others feel more comfortable adventuring outdoors. It wasn’t long after their trip when they decided to move back to Lafayette and open a business that would allow them to share their passion for the great outdoors to other adventurous souls.
“There are a couple of things we are excited about with this store. One is a conscious reuse of gear and apparel in the community. We know that folks have a lot sitting in their closets and garages that they aren’t using. We’re sure there are plenty of folks who would love some high-quality gear at a more affordable price.”, Allison says.
Allison goes on to say, “The other thing we are excited about is getting more people outside. We know there are folks who want to get outdoors but just don’t know where to start, feel they can’t afford it, or feel they don’t belong. This store helps people connect to exchange outdoor goods, knowledge, and experiences and ultimately get more people enjoying all that Louisiana has to offer.”
“I think the downtown area is the heart of our city. A stronger downtown means a stronger Lafayette.”
“We live close to downtown and love being able to walk and bike to so many places. We also love that so many of the businesses downtown are locally owned. Shopping local is very important to us. We are excited to be a part of all that downtown Lafayette has to offer.”
Ahead of the opening, If you are cleaning out your closets or getting organized for the new year, SugarWolf would love for you to keep them in mind. They’ll have special incentives for anyone that consigns with them and will soon be announcing some open consignment days.
The tentative opening date for SugarWolf Outdoor Exchange is set for March 2020.
Be sure to check them out online at their website sugarwolfoutdoors.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/sugarwolfoutdoors or on Instagram @sugarwolfoutdoors.
