Princeton Sports, a beloved family-owned outdoor sports and recreation store in Baltimore, will close after 89 years of business, its owners announced Monday.

The third-generation owners of Princeton Sports, brothers Alan and Paul Davis, will retire after almost 50 years of working at the family-owned and family-operated stores.

“It was a very hard decision,” said Paul Davis, vice president and co-owner.

Princeton Sports will be closed from Monday through Friday as it prepares for a liquidation sale.

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The business was founded in 1936 by Alan and Paul Davis’ grandparents, Samuel and Lucille Davis, who turned their love of cycling into a nickel-a-day bicycle rental and repair store in Baltimore’s Park Circle neighborhood. They named the business after their hometown of Princeton, New Jersey.

The couple’s son, Sonny Davis, joined the business in 1963 and introduced skiing gear. Although the skiing and bicycle sides of the store were technically separate businesses, the store for 20 years was called Princeton Skiing and Bicycle, said Alan Davis, president and co-owner.

A photo of Samuel and Lucille Davis, Princeton Sports' founders and grandparents of current owners Alan and Paul Davis, is displayed amongst a set of family photos within the office of Princeton Sports as seen on February 1, 2025 in Baltimore, MD.
A photo of Samuel and Lucille Davis, Princeton Sports’ founders and grandparents of current owners Alan and Paul Davis, is displayed among family photos at Princeton Sports. (Eric Thompson for The Baltimore Banner)
Alan, left, and Paul Davis, President and Vice President of Princeton Sports as seen within their Baltimore, MD store on February 1, 2025.
Brothers Alan, left, and Paul Davis have worked together for seven years in the Baltimore shop, watching generations of customers come in and reminisce. (Eric Thompson for The Baltimore Banner)

Princeton Sports also offers products for snowboarding, tennis, swimming and general fitness, and it was known for putting together Saturday ski trips.

In 1981, Sonny Davis expanded Princeton Sports to a second location, at 10730 Little Patuxent Parkway in Columbia. He eventually tapped his eldest son, Alan, to run the Columbia store. Alan oversaw the store for nearly 37 years until it closed in May 2018.

Alan Davis told the Baltimore Business Journal then that he was “heartbroken” about the closure, but it wasn’t the end of the road for him.

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Alan joined his brother Paul Davis at the Baltimore flagship store on Falls Road. They’ve worked together for seven years since, watching generations of customers come in and reminisce.

“The last seven years have been fulfilling and a lot of fun,” Alan Davis said. “We each know our strengths and we respect it, and we’re having fun.”

Brendon Travis, a national champion tennis racquet stringer and Tennis Manager for Princeton Sports, strings a tennis racquet on February 1, 2025 in Baltimore, MD.
Store manager and tennis coach Brendon Travis strings a tennis racket at the shop. (Eric Thompson for The Baltimore Banner)

Brendon Travis, store manager and tennis coach, remembers Sonny Davis fondly, recalling their bond over the competitive aspects of tennis.

“Every day, he would come in and he would make it a point to come over, and we would just talk shop,” Travis said. “‘Hey, did you see this match?’ or ‘Did you see this person?’ That’s how we got into betting on who’s going to win Grand Slams.”

Travis and Sonny Davis made one last bet in January 2022 over the Australian Open, which took place a few weeks before Sonny died. Travis has every coin he ever won from their bets and plans to take them with him when the store closes.

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Alan and Paul Davis said retirement is the main reason for closing Princeton Sports, but they added that the business has faced headwinds in a quickly evolving retail landscape.

“Consumer buying habits have changed quite a bit in the last four or five years,” Paul Davis said. Retail giants such as Amazon have become the biggest competitors for small businesses by offering lower prices, and free and fast shipping.

Interior view of Princeton Sports as seen on February 1, 2025 in Baltimore, MD.
Princeton Sports sells gear and clothing for many outdoor activities, including bicycling and winter sports. (Eric Thompson for The Baltimore Banner)
Mike Strasser, a career bike mechanic who has spent the past several years with Princeton Sports, works on a bike repair at Princeton Sports in Baltimore, MD on February 1, 2025.
Mike Strasser, a career bike mechanic who has spent the past several years with Princeton Sports, works on a bike repair. (Eric Thompson for The Baltimore Banner)

Rising costs for labor and the prioritization of speed over expertise also have created difficulties for the business.

“But the big kicker was now we’re competing with our manufacturers, and the manufacturers are undercutting us,” Paul Davis added.

In a press release, the Davis brothers thanked their employees for their hard work and customers for continuing to shop with them over the years.

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“We have the best customers,” Paul said. “They’re coming in because they want to, and we’re selling them fun.”

Alan and Paul Davis have children and grandchildren of their own but said they have opted out of having them work in the store or taking over the business. By closing now, they said, they’re protecting what their family built.

A quote written on the wall of the ski and snowboard repair shop. (Eric Thompson for The Baltimore Banner)

Several Princeton Sports employees said they supported their bosses’ decision to retire and look forward to seeing their future adventures. Alan and Paul Davis are looking forward to travel, bike trips and, finally, having weekends off.

Corey Adams, a manager and buyer for the bicycle department, has worked at Princeton Sports since 1991. He sees the Davises and his coworkers as friends whom he’ll miss.

“I still think they’re pretty young, but they’re fortunate to be able to retire, so I’m super happy for Alan and Paul,” he said.

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The brothers feel proud when they reflect on their years at the store, but they look forward to, as one said, “going out in style.”

A collection of historic photos including the original location of Princeton Sports on display in the offices at the current Princeton Sports location on February 1, 2025 in Baltimore, MD.
Alan Davis sits in front of a collection of historic photos — including the original location of Princeton Sports — in the offices at Princeton Sports. (Eric Thompson for The Baltimore Banner)