Two local shops have undergone a winter metamorphosis.

Eastsound Sporting Goods and 376-WEAR have emerged as a leaner, more efficient new entity re-named Orcas Outfitters.

376-WEAR owners Stephanie and Tom Tillman and ESG owners Jeremy and Holly King have remodeled their adjacent Templin Center stores into one larger space, combined wares, and will be completely reformatting the new store in preparation for a grand reopening in early March.

“It’s incredibly exciting for us … I think it’s going to work out really well,” Tom said.

“We have similar goals,” explained Jeremy. “We want to offer a good product for a good price; that’s what made it easy to merge with them.”

Jeremy said he and the Tillmans began talks about a possible merger in November, as they looked ahead with concern about the stores’ viability through the coming winter. Slow December sales confirmed their premonitions, and they hope to complete the remodel by the end of January.

“In order for us to keep our costs down and still be competitive in the market today, we just had to cut a lot of overhead. .. We try to keep our prices similar to mainland prices,” Tom said.

He said the merger will boost efficiency: “It cuts all the costs of two corporations and two bank accounts, and in the winter it allows us to keep our staff low.”

The combined store can be clerked by one person during slow periods.

Jeremy hopes the merger will help islanders make it through this economic downtime as well.

“We are committed to serving locals. That’s not changing. The merger helps out locals by keeping our overhead down and prices low. A lot of people just raise their prices,” Jeremy said.

Orcas Outfitters will continue to carry work wear, sports wear and sporting goods.

Tom said they also plan revamp their inventory by bringing in some new vendors and discontinuing items that have sold poorly in the past. Jeremy looks forward to making joint decisions on product purchasing, saying, “Purchasing products should be a community effort, not just one person, because everybody has different tastes. You want to buy stuff so that everybody can find stuff they want.”

When Jeremy and his former partner Ray Schwartz purchased ESG from Mike Rosenthal in June of 1997, the store carried toys and fishing gear. Jeremy expanded the product line and turned it into an outdoor store. Schwartz sold out his share in September of 2009 to pursue a career as a graphic designer. The Tillmans purchased 376-WEAR three years ago.

The Kings have two sons, Evan, 5, and Jimmy, almost 2. Holly works as a librarian at the Orcas Island Library.

The Tillmans also have two children, Zack, 13, and Sabina, 9.

Photos of the new store are available for viewing on Facebook, under the username “Orcas Outfitters on Orcas Island.”

“I think both stores are fun; throughout the year you meet a lot of people,” Tom said. “I suppose if we didn’t have the stores I’d just be hiding in a cave at home.”