*photo: PEAK PERFORMACE (CF CARREFOUR LAVAL)*

By Mario Toneguzzi

Sweden-based outdoor sports fashion brand, Peak Performance, with its focus on skiers, is opening its new global concept store in CF Carrefour Laval.

Christopher Clementoni, Country Manager for Peak Performance Canada, said the store is now open and the retailer’s mission is “to be the world’s leading sports fashion brand for the active lifestyle consumer”.

Currently, the company also has stores in Whistler, B.C. and in Brossard, Quebec, just outside of Montreal.

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PHOTOS: PEAK PERFORMANCE, CF CARREFOUR LAVAL

The Carrefour store, on the North Shore of Montreal, is about 1,500 square feet of selling space.

Clementoni said the location is “essentially the artery to all of the skiing destinations” such as popular Mont-Tremblant resort.

“We wanted to open something up that would be in a major mall. We did work with Cadillac Fairview which we look to obviously continue to grow with in the future,” he said.

“This particular store is our newest concept which launched in the back half of 2019 in Oslo (Norway). We’re opening the new concept store in Canada - the second new concept for Peak Performance in 2019.”

The new concept store has a new layout, new fixtures, and different branding with a premium Scandinavian design.

Clementoni said Peak Performance is a good fit for the Canadian market.

“In 2018, Peak Performance was purchased by Amers Sports which is also the owner of Arc'teryx, Salomon, Suunto, Atomic, and various other brands. Wilson obviously one of the bigger ones,” he said.

Previously, Peak Performance was owned by more of a fashion company.

“Now being back rooted in sport as we are our brand is rooted in ski but the beautiful part of it and the reason we were picked up by Amers Sports is because of the ability to have a fashion component. With that being said, Peak Performance before was able to develop a fashion line and more of a fashion forward twist on active and functional products which I don’t think are currently being distributed in the marketplace,” said Clementoni.

“If you look at a foundational landmark, it would be Canada. We fit very, very well into the current geographical climate of the Canadian marketplace. We’re a very technical high end brand that provides obviously exceptional ski wear being rooted in ski but have a very highly technical and sustainable essentials offering. All of our down products are sourced in the most sustainable way as possible.

“We are looking to expand our retail footprint in Canada. We will be looking at major epicentres such as Toronto and Vancouver. Right now in Eastern Canada, in Quebec specifically, our business is very, very healthy as we have our headquarters here and we’ve been very focused on this kind of ski, Euro fashion market. We have expanded quite a bit nationally in the last 18 months working with new partners on the West Coast and Sporting Life which has helped us create a national expansion. Now we’re looking to open branded stores in epicentres like Toronto and Vancouver to really essentially create that Peak Performance environment for the consumer in those territories.”

The partnership with Sporting Life, which began a year ago in October, has allowed the retailer to position itself amongst other similar highly technical outdoor brands.

View this post on Instagram

Vertical Jacket - athlete approved by @kristoferturdell 📸 @eye_b_long

A post shared by Peak Performance (@peakperformance) on Nov 6, 2019 at 10:39am PST

View this post on Instagram

Based on one of our most popular down jackets, this warm and lightweight version sports a retro inspired mix of two fabrics. 📸@gustavwiking #peakperformance

A post shared by Peak Performance (@peakperformance) on Oct 28, 2019 at 11:42am PDT

Peak Performance products are also distributed through the Sportium stores and Sports Experts stores in Quebec.

“As you move across the country, as you move to the West Coast, we don’t have a key partner now on the West Coast but that’s essentially part of the expansion,” said Clementoni.

The ski brand was founded in 1986 in Åre, a mountain village in the Swedish province of Jämtland, by the two founders hanging out in a chalet talking about making better quality ski wear and creating a line that could transfer seamlessly to their traditional après–ski activities.

Mario Toneguzzi, based in Calgary has 37 years of experience as a daily newspaper writer, columnist and editor. He worked for 35 years at the Calgary Herald covering sports, crime, politics, health, city and breaking news, and business. For 12 years as a business writer, his main beats were commercial and residential real estate, retail, small business and general economic news. He nows works on his own as a freelance writer and consultant in communications and media relations/training. Email: mdtoneguzzi@gmail.com

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