Our Story

From Annapolis to Navy Families Across the Country

NavyGear.com didn’t begin as a website. Our story started in 1976 with a small family-owned store called Peppers in downtown Annapolis, Maryland.

Located just blocks from the U.S. Naval Academy, Peppers served a unique mix of Annapolis locals, midshipmen, their families, Navy fans and visitors. Some customers stopped in every week. Others discovered us while visiting their midshipman, attending a Navy football game or spending a weekend in Annapolis.

Those relationships became an important part of who we are—and ultimately shaped what NavyGear would become.

Taking Annapolis Beyond Annapolis

As midshipmen graduated and families returned home, we wanted to give the customers we had met in Annapolis a way to stay connected.

In 1996, we launched our first website.

What seems ordinary today was a pretty big leap at the time. It allowed customers who had once shopped with us in Annapolis or met us at Navy football games to continue finding Navy apparel and gifts wherever life took them.

For many years, we also operated the fan shop at Navy’s stadium, becoming part of countless game days and helping generations of fans show their Navy pride.

When the Peppers storefront closed in 2010, our connection to the Navy community didn’t end. It simply moved beyond Annapolis.

NavyGear.com allowed us to carry those relationships forward.

More Than Navy Gear

Over the years, we’ve learned that Navy gear is rarely just about what’s printed on a shirt or embroidered on a hat.

It can represent years of service. A son or daughter at the Naval Academy. A parent who served decades ago. A first Navy football game. A deployment, a graduation, a retirement—or simply pride in someone you love.

That’s why we continue to offer officially licensed U.S. Navy and Naval Academy apparel, accessories and gifts for service members, veterans, midshipmen, families and supporters across the country.

From NavyGear to Armed Forces Gear

The community that started our journey also inspired us to grow.

As we served more military families, we saw an opportunity to bring the same experience to people connected to every branch of the U.S. military. That led to the growth of our sister site, Armed Forces Gear.

Today, NavyGear.com remains focused on the Navy and Naval Academy communities, while Armed Forces Gear brings together officially licensed apparel, gifts and gear representing all six branches of the U.S. military.

Different storefronts, but the same family-owned business and the same story that began in Annapolis in 1976.

Still Family-Owned. Still Grateful.

Nearly 50 years after opening the doors at Peppers, we’re still a family-owned business.

Our storefront has changed. Our community has grown. And customers who once found us walking through downtown Annapolis can now shop with us from anywhere in the country.

But what matters most hasn’t changed: the relationships behind the gear.

Whether you're shopping to honor your own service, celebrate a midshipman, remember someone who served, support Navy athletics or find something for a Navy family member, we're grateful you chose to make us part of it.

Thank you for being part of our story—and for allowing us to continue being part of yours.

The NavyGear Family