Rogers Sporting Goods

The largest independent hunting and fishing retailer in the KC metro — a family-owned Liberty, Missouri institution since 1980, now the nation’s largest retailer of steel shot ammunition.

Description

Rogers Sporting Goods in Liberty, Missouri is the KC metro’s preeminent independent sporting goods store for waterfowl hunters, archery enthusiasts, and freshwater anglers. The 60,000-square-foot retail floor — backed by a 200,000-square-foot warehouse — carries an inventory that ranges from fishing lures and fly rods to waterfowl decoys, hunting waders, archery bows, and more brands of steel shot ammunition than any other retailer in the country.

The business traces its roots to 1959, when Jim Rogers — Steve Rogers’s father — began crafting and selling fishing lures, eventually becoming one of the original 106 anglers to compete in the All American Bass Tournament (1967), the event that led to the founding of B.A.S.S. Steve Rogers opened the retail store bearing the family name at age 27 in 1980, initially in Branson, Missouri before relocating to Liberty, where the store has remained for four decades.

What began as a fishing-only shop has evolved into a comprehensive hunting and outdoor outfitter. By 1990 Steve had added hunting apparel; by 1997 the store’s first truckload waterfowl sale — advertised in the Kansas City Star — became the company’s single best sales day in history, signaling a permanent strategic shift. Today, hunting accounts for more than 95% of revenue. Steve’s three children — Stevie, Mandy, and Shannon — have each joined the business in operational roles, making this a second-generation family enterprise.

Ownership and history

Year	Event
1959	Jim Rogers begins making and selling fishing lures; establishes Rogers Lures1
1967	Jim Rogers competes in inaugural All American Bass Tournament (origins of B.A.S.S.)1
1980	Steve Rogers (Jim’s son) opens Rogers Sporting Goods retail store in Branson, MO, age 271
1985	Steve relocates to Liberty, MO; expands to 18,000 sq ft; fishing-only focus1
1990	Adds hunting clothing and gear1
1997	First truckload waterfowl sale (free decoys with shells) advertised in Kansas City Star; becomes best sales day in company history1
Early 2000s	Launches eBay online sales, then rogerssportinggoods.com1
2007	Moves to current 60,000 sq ft retail location at 1760 N Church Rd, Liberty1
2010s	Stevie Rogers joins as part owner / head buyer / marketing; Mandy (A/P) and Shannon (retail GM) join1
2026	Active; Tue–Sat 9AM–6PM; family continues full ownership2

Links

• Site: https://rogerssportinggoods.com/

Sources

Disputes

None at this time.

Footnotes

1. https://www.mossyoak.com/our-obsession/blogs/built-the-rogers-sporting-goods-story — Asserts: Full founding story; Jim Rogers lures 1959; Steve Rogers opened 1980 in Branson; relocated Liberty 1985; 18,000 sq ft expansion; hunting added 1990; first truckload sale 1997; Steve’s three children in operations; steel shot market leadership. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹

2. https://www.yelp.com/biz/rogers-sporting-goods-liberty — Asserts: 1760 N Church Rd, Liberty, MO 64068; updated June 2026; open Tue–Sat 9AM–6PM; phone (816) 883-4545. ↩