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By Mario Toneguzzi

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Arc'teryx, the Canadian brand specializing in outdoor apparel, has launched its first lifestyle-focused store in Burnaby, B.C., with plans to expand the concept to other centres.

The Burnaby store, the brand’s 11th in Canada, is in 2,104 square feet of retail space.

Megan Cheesbrough, VP of Retail, Arc’teryx, confirmed with Retail Insider that the store in the Metropolis at Metrotown is performing really well and the retailer is developing the lifestyle retail concept further, applying its evolutionary design principles to inform the next store it opens. She said the company plans to open lifestyle stores in Calgary and Seattle later this year.

“The Arc’teryx lifestyle store experience is designed to celebrate and highlight our lifestyle and everyday product collections in a meaningful and relevant way for both our most loyal brand fans and for those that are perhaps just learning about who we are. The assortment and in-store experience caters to everyday life, and style – the Arc’teryx way. We are experts in protecting you from the elements, whether that be on top of a mountain or in a gnarly rainstorm commuting to work in the city,” said Cheesbrough.

“The store enables customers to connect with our premium lifestyle products in an environment that is relevant to the versatile, everyday end-use they are intended for. Our product guides in store are brand, product, and community experts and are focused on delivering an exceptional experience for all that come to the store to connect with our brand and product.

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“What differentiates our lifestyle store from other Arc’teryx brand stores, apart from aesthetics, is product. At our lifestyle concept store, we focus on carrying apparel and accessories from our Lifestyle line, in addition to a mix of essentials and innovation pieces. At our lifestyle stores customers will find a wide selection of jackets, pants, and tops to suit their needs while commuting, exploring and traveling in urban areas. More technical outdoor products like climbing harnesses can be found at our more traditional brand store located in the same city or area. Here, our customers can browse through ski, snowboard, climb, hike and run apparel, footwear and gear.”

She said the company has been designing and manufacturing premium lifestyle products for a long time and it wanted to create a special space where it could celebrate and highlight these products.

“We want to be a brand that is accessible and available to everyone, every day. Whether you’re hiking in the mountains or running errands on the weekend, our apparel is designed with protection and function in mind. With our lifestyle line, we’re taking the same technical materials and design concepts from our sport-specific performance apparel and using it to create everyday solutions to enhance comfort and performance in urban environments,” said Cheesbrough.

“For the Arc’teryx brand, Vancouver is where it all started, and we felt the city would be a good testing ground for the launch of our first lifestyle store, to complement our neighbourhood and flagship stores that already exist in the Vancouver market. We chose to open our first lifestyle store in Metrotown because its location intersects the major cities in British Columbia’s lower mainland, and the mall’s clientele is as unique and diverse as our brand’s own clientele.”

She said the retailer’s target customer is anyone who wants to feel comfortable and protected from the elements, so they can enjoy being outside for longer – whether it’s skiing in the backcountry or enjoying urban environments, commuting and exploring local outdoor areas.

*clickthrough map of metropolis at metrotown (red dot indicates arc’teryx store)*

Currently, it has 10 Canadian brand stores, and 10 across the U.S. In 2020 it anticipates opening more stores in Canada, the United States, China, Japan, and Europe.

“In 2019 we launched the Arc’teryx Trips program, immersive travel experiences designed to give participants unrivalled access to wild places in small group settings. All of our trips are led by certified, elite-level guides, and each uniquely crafted experience will allow participants to expand their personal frontiers alongside like-minded peers in world-class destinations,” said Cheesbrough.

“As a brand, we want to expand our connection to our customers beyond the sales floor, and the best way to do this is to provide them with truly unique experiential opportunities. Through our Trips program, we hope to inspire our customers to participate in the sports we design product for, and to take them from the sales floor to the great outdoors.”

SLIDESHOW (swipe)

PHOTOS: ARC’TERYX

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Stephanie Jamieson, Global Retail Marketing Manager, Arc’teryx, said the new retail store is designed to entice, welcome and immerse customers into the Arc’teryx experience where they can explore products and, uniquely in this case, visualize how these lifestyle pieces can be incorporated into their everyday wardrobe.

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“Our team has created a fresh and inviting space for a modern shopping experience, and we’re excited to be sharing this with our community,” she said.

Arc’teryx is a global design company based in North Vancouver, specializing in technical high-performance apparel, outerwear and equipment. Its products are distributed through more than 3,000 retail locations worldwide, including over 50 branded stores. Arc’teryx is named for the Archaeopteryx Lithographica, the first reptile to develop the feather for flight.

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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