Laacke & Joys Co

Great selection for the outdoor enthusiast but a bit on the pricier side. We tend to shop in February which is when they have their largest sales of the year for winter products. Mostly the clothes and footwear are on sale then. I have been told the 30% is the largest discount and they won’t have a bigger sale than this. We shopped for fleece coats (The North Face) additional 10% discount deal with three fleeces, fleece sweater (Spider) and winter boots for the kids (The North Face).
I like their selections. Service can be up and down. Knowledgeable staff (sometimes teens, but they are usually the ones up with the latest) especially for the skies and snowboarding equipment. We were part of their loyalty program when they suddenly ended it. Stating, they had many issues with it. So a bit disappointed with a lack of a loyalty program when we spend lots of money here!

I loved Laacke & Joys downtown Milwaukee location. My husband and I went out to the Brookfield location twice and will not be back. The staff seemed to be high school athletes. No one offered to help us and when I actively sought help I was directed over there with a wave of a hand. This with six visible salespeople and only one other customer in the store. Plus, the store was so strangely organized and crammed full of product that we eventually just gave up. We found some great stuff in the old location and were helped by real athletes who actually used the gear they were selling. That matters to me.

They carry a lot of high end outdoors products. If that is what you are looking this is the place to be. Be warned, often times their register does not ring up the correct sale price. This happened to my wife on a pair sandals. A couple weeks later it happened to me on an item marked 40% off. It also happened to my buddy who checked out immediately after me on a different sale item. The clerk didn’t know how to do math and also didn’t know how to operate the register to get the appropriate prices. I would have done 4 stars but they tried to overcharge me twice on the same product. Decent store all in all.

My wife and I are huge fans of shopping local and give every opportunity we can. I chose to stop in and purchase my wife a snowboard package for Xmas. The buying experience was ok at best. The staff had little knowledge for a beginner like ourselves. The checkout process was confusing and they had no idea of a special package price. A few days after Xmas my wife decided to upgrade her boots before we had the install scheduled. That process was hectic. They had quite a few customers waiting around for help and we felt very rushed. The sales guy was a little off putting as well. We did get what we wanted though. However, I was told the board will be setup he next day by 1230. I got in to pick everything up and the same sales guy told me he forgot to get it done. No apology, no I will rush to get it done. I now have to return another time.
I gave this review 2 stars because of their nice selection of gear and clothing. Their prices were quite a bit higher than internet shops and about 10% higher that the big box stores. Again– we don’t mind paying a little extra to shop local as long as the service goes that extra mile. My experience was the exact opposite. I will not return.

There are now so many options in the area for ski gear now. Why bother waiting and waiting for a teen to look at you with a vacant expression of disdain when you ask for help? Cabela’s or REI would be more than happy for me to spend my money with them. I asked someone for assistance on a specific brand and I was told they don’t carry that anymore, ok do you have an alternative? No idea she says and walks away. Gee thanks… Then when I find, on my own, what I needed it took 20 minutes to check out cause the kid at the register had to chat and chat with someone and then decides to answer the phone. How about dealing with the customer in front of you? Let the girl picking her nails answer the phone! Management needs to keep a better eye on all of this or they will lose business to other stores than can provide the same stuff at sometimes better prices and better customer service.

We have clearance, Clarence.
This is the only remaining L&J location in town now. It’s such an odd building and with the old signage for equestrian gear and outdoor furniture when you’d drive by, most would have no idea that they have a huge selection of clothing and outdoor items. With a product selection similar to REI and prices that vary with sales and coupons, it’s good to shop around. You can often find items for less here, but be aware that they don’t have a very liberal return policy. I love going thru their clearance racks as you can often score something from last year or season for half the price (or more) if you don’t mind the exact same item in an older color. They also have an «adventure club» where you get a % back on future purchases which is pretty cool. The staff isn’t overly helpful compared to other stores.

I ran out here late one night late in February looking for ski boots that don’t exist anymore. The sales associate was very kind to me and suggested I look at another business for them. He even ran to his computer to see if they were still open that night. I was impressed by their customer service.

Worst customer service ever!!! I dealt with three separate employees and they were all moping around and very very disinterested in helping me find my items. I will never enter this store again. On the other hand, the downtown store is wonderful and has very nice helpful staff.

Brookfield location, Brookfield prices. There’s an outdoor patio store attached to the Laacke & Joys Brookfield store. Some incredible looking patio furniture but very pricey, like some table and chair sets around $ 4,000. Out of my price range but was a good place for design ideas so I can go to Hobos and buy the designer knock off, kidding.
If you’re looking for quality and have the budget I recommend Laacke & Joys.