Concrete floors and an open-grid ceiling set the tone for a no-frills store. Scrap cardboard pieces scrawled on with black felt-tip marker make up the display signs. Used furniture--bartered with store gift certificates--fills the "community area" and completes the sense of hanging out in someone's basement.

The 50,000-square-foot store, which opened in October, sells men's, women's and children's apparel and equipment for sports such as snow skiing, hiking and camping, biking and triathlons. Customers can buy or rent snow skis, and there is also a full-service bike shop.

The store is located on Kern Avenue at Lawrence Expressway.

This is third store for the company, which started in 1998, and it's the first location outside of San Francisco.

Sports Basement markets itself as a discounter that buys "overstock and excess inventory from quality manufacturers." Part of that inventory winds up in a corner of the store called "Samples." Samples is a grab-bag area with merchandise that was used for displays at product shows or samples used by sales representatives.

"We recycle anything we can," said spokeswoman Sophia Steinaecker.

Top-name brands such as The North Face, Asics, Salomon and Columbia are found throughout the store.

Steinaecker said the business sees itself as becoming part of the community. At the San Francisco stores, it's common to see people lounging around in the community area where they can listen to a free speakers series. A large wall in the community area is devoted to information about a variety of activities--outdoors, snow, charity, team, children's, dance and more.

The store partners with various nonprofit organizations during fundraising events such as 10K walks and runs and offers participants discounts up to 10 percent with proof of participation.

Customers can even wrap presents there.

A free wrapping paper station includes cardboard boxes for packaging, a large roll of plain brown paper, holiday rubber stamps and ink pads for decorating the paper, plus tape, gift tags, and ribbon.

Sports Basement, 1177 Kern Ave, Sunnyvale, 408.732.0300, www.sportsbasement.com. Store hours are Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and weekends 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.