Retailer Arc’teryx, specializing in outerwear and outdoor equipment, has major expansion plans in the works for the coming year.
Delaney Schweitzer, Chief Commercial Officer for the company, told Retail Insider that 2023 is a major year for retail, with 15 new store openings planned across North America, including Denver, Edmonton, Chicago, and Ottawa.
Arc’teryx opened 10 brand stores in North America in 2022, she added.
“The pandemic saw a huge upturn in outdoor recreation, as people sought solitude and adventure in the mountains. We’re committed to enabling equitable access to the outdoors, and we’re excited to see this change, as the mountain community becomes more diverse and reflects the world we live in,” said Schweitzer.
“As more people spent more time outdoors, they also looked for increasingly technical and durable outdoor gear and apparel, which would enable them to reach their goals. Our design process and purpose has remained the same throughout. We have always designed durable, high-performance gear to last through any challenge the mountains could throw at you, and this has remained true throughout the pandemic.”
Arc’teryx has over 160 brand stores and is stocked in over 2,400 retail locations globally.
“We have an existing store in West Edmonton Mall, and we’re excited to be opening a new store in the Southgate Centre in spring 2023. It’s a 3,353 square foot space, within a popular retail community. Southgate is where our local guests shop, and it’s always our aim to meet our guests where they are,” said Schweitzer.
“We’ve had a great community response to our first Edmonton store, and we’re excited to expand our footprint in the city, offering systems of dress to allow Edmontonians to stay warm and dry while they explore the mountains on their doorstep.”
Arc’teryx was founded in Vancouver in 1989. Originally known as Rock Solid, the small team of hardcore climbers focused on creating innovative new harnesses. In 1991, Rock Solid became Arc’teryx – named after Archaeopteryx Lithographica, the first dinosaur known to fly.
After finding cult success with harnesses, Arc’teryx expanded into packs, and then jackets. Initially sold exclusively via wholesale partners, in 2006 Arc’teryx opened its first direct-to-consumer brand store in Montreal, Quebec. Over three decades, Arc’teryx has developed a reputation for high-performance, highly durable products designed for the mountain athlete – enabling them to perform at the highest level, in the most extreme conditions, explained Schweitzer.
“Arc’teryx is a Canadian brand producing durable and high-performance, technical outerwear to serve the mountain athlete. We believe that good design makes lives better, and we exist to create long-lasting, high-quality products to keep people safe, dry and achieving their biggest goals in the most extreme mountain conditions,” she said.
“Our products are incredibly durable and long-lasting. Our aim is to keep gear in play for as long as possible, through building a circular business model. Our circularity platform – called ReBIRD™ – is built around educating guests on correct gear care and repair (ReCARE), building a marketplace for secondhand goods (ReGEAR) and finding innovative design solutions to utilize end-of-life materials (ReCUT). This focus on circularity is a key lever to reduce our climate footprint, and protect the mountains we call home – and it’s key to our brand journey for the future.”
