*Rendering of the new Laval store, via MEC*

Vancouver-based large format outdoor consumer cooperative retailer MEC will open its fifth location in the province of Quebec in the fall of 2016. The 23,600 square foot freestanding store will locate next to CF Carrefour Laval in suburban Montreal.

The store will feature an extensive use of wood and will feature energy-efficient heating, air conditioning, ventilation and lighting. Among its many features will be a full-service equipment rental and bike shop, with technicians specifically trained to service various types of bikes. Since 2012, MEC has expanded its product offerings to include yoga, cycling, running and more recently, downhill skiing.

MEC CFO Sandy Treagus noted that about 400,000 people live in proximity to the Lanaudière and Laurentians regions, and that the store will serve a population that is active in the outdoors. Impressively, the Montreal area boasts 40,000 MEC members, who each pay a $5 fee to shop at the consumer cooperative.

*Click map for interactive version, via Google*

Laval will be MEC's 19th Canadian store, and its fifth for the province of Quebec. The company continues to expand and replace stores, with new locations also planned for Toronto, Edmonton and Kelowna within the next couple of years. MEC has more than 4 million members in Canada, with 700,000 of those in Quebec.

CF Carrefour Laval is Montreal's most productive mall. According to landlord Cadillac Fairview, the centre saw sales of $860 per square foot annually for 2015. In February, we'll release a study ranking Canada's most productive shopping centres by sales per square foot.

Canadian Retail News From Around The Web: January 28, 2016