Olympic To Close 5 Stores

SEATTLE - Olympic Sports, which is up for sale, will close five of its eight stores Jan. 31.

The privately owned, local sporting-goods chain is planning to close stores in downtown Bellevue, Lynnwood, Lakewood, Tacoma and Federal Way. Its stores at Northgate, Tukwila and the Overlook area of Bellevue will stay open. About 150 employees will be affected.

Olympic Sports, founded in 1962, relies on ski equipment and clothing for a large part of its sales. The recreational ski industry isn't growing, and mild winters in the past two years have hurt sales. Olympic Sports faces competition from other ski shops and fast-expanding national sporting-goods chains.