Our Goal

To provide our customers with a unique mix of clothing, footwear, sporting goods, and outdoor merchandise at our every day low “Price Fighter” prices.

Company History

In 1951, after serving in the Navy, Herb Philipson followed in the footsteps of his family’s successful Utica business and opened the first “Herb” Philipson’s Army & Navy Store in Rome, New York. That first store, a wooden structure, had a little over 800 square feet of selling space in a modest storefront location. It was replaced with a new building on the same site in 1957 before moving to its location on 300 West Dominick Street, Rome, N.Y. In 2009, it moved to a brand new location in The Black River Plaza at 1899 Black River Blvd. in Rome, N.Y.

In 1970, “Herb” Philipson’s expanded and opened its second store, in downtown Oneida which moved in 2007 to a bigger store in the Glenwood Plaza in Oneida. A third store was added in the New Hartford Shopping Center in 1981, and a store in Herkimer opened in 1987. In 2003, a fifth store was opened in Watertown, and in 2007, “Herb” Philipson’s was proud to open its sixth store in Liverpool, N.Y. Subsequent locations were opening in Newark, NY, and in 2015, locations in DeWitt and Oswego. Today, “Herb” Philipson’s has 9 Central New York locations that offer 300,000 square feet of fashion and work apparel, athletic and casual footwear, as well as a complete selection of camping, marine, military surplus, fishing and hunting gear and apparel, plus a wide selection of baseball equipment and other sporting goods.

The Philipson Family

Right from the start, Herb made a decision to offer famous name brands at low prices. With this philosophy, he gained a reputation as the “Price Fighter,” even appearing in television commercials to parry imaginary prices in the boxing ring. Herb passed away in July 2003, and Gary, Herb’s son, is carrying on the family tradition.

Gary, who worked alongside his dad for 23 years, oversees the stores’ daily operations, assists in purchasing for all departments, and ensures complete customer satisfaction. This family approach – which also included Herb’s late son, David – and commitment to the community is what has made “Herb” Philipson’s such a success story.

“Herb” Philipson’s has been outfitting Central New York for the Great Outdoors since 1951. It is the area’s premier retailer for outdoor and casual apparel, workwear and footwear, and sporting and surplus goods. Customers know they can always save money and be satisfied with our service.