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 On a balmy afternoon in late July 1987 (or so the story goes),
Master Sail-maker Scott Morgan conceived of shop that catered to a more
adventurous clientele, a wholesome, outdoor, scenic, eco-friendly, clientele
that is. A store that equipped the would-be adventurer for every need. A store
that understood the desire of folks to go out and see the world. A store that
was bigger than a run down sail loft on Merritt Island, Florida and maybe had
air conditioning. A store that would be called Village Outfitters
While it's good to have a vision and desire, eventually you need good
facilities, inventory, staff and a place to call your own. In 1992 Village
Outfitters got all that and more when it moved into its first location on
Brevard Ave. in the heart of Cocoa Village. Since Brevard County, Florida is
more than 1/3 water, it made sense to open a shop based around aquatic
activities. We started life with a small line of kayaks, outdoor clothing and
accessories and under the guidance of Retail Guru Jan, we flourished.
The growth in sales that we experienced brought with it the need for more
room. So the hunt began. We scoured the earth far and wide for the perfect
location: An old general store on the corner of Forrest and Main just 5 blocks
from our previous spot. Our new location had plenty of space to house a
considerable kayak inventory, a fair size retail store AND the 3400 square foot
Sails By Morgan sail loft and rigging shop. After an inordinate amount of
renovation, we took possession late in 2002.
 Since moving into the new store we've expanded our offerings greatly. We now
carry kayaks by half a dozen manufacturers, clothing by Ex-Officio and
Patagonia, an exceptional selection of Yakima vehicle racks, Tilley hats,
Aquabound and Werner paddles, Princeton-Tec, Leki, Camelbak, Seals, Stohlquist,
Gill, Vasque…I mean, I could keep this up all day, but let's not get too crazy.
We also developed a kayak rental and tour program to help introduce people to
a sport we love so much. We like our job here at Village Outfitters and we try
hard to be a shop that you'll enjoy visiting. If you're ever in Cocoa, come by
and see us. You don't have to be a kayak expert, just curious about the world
around you.
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