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The North Face new retail environment will be the embodiment of the brand’s DNA in a physical location
The North Face announced its global retail strategy, beginning with the opening of a new store in the historic SoHo neighbourhood of Manhattan today. Through the refreshed retail strategy, the brand will transform its existing locations into basecamps for exploration, aiming to create a stronger connection with consumers and evolve its retail environment to a space that feels more like the brand and less like a store.
The North Face set out to design a store as premium, long-lasting and sustainably built as the products it creates. The same level of detail and care the brand’s designers use on every zipper pull and bonded seam was applied along with its commitment to sustainability leading these efforts. The SoHo location and all new stores moving forward will feature FSC certified reclaimed wood, steel, granite and low VOC paints. The environments are purposefully designed for longevity and to avoid the need for wasteful refurbishing throughout the years.
“Our stores will continue to offer a convenient and seamless shopping experience, but it is no longer the sole mission of the store,” said Mark Parker, Vice President of Direct to Consumer. “We are now focused on creating an environment that highlights our heritage and allows consumers to deeply connect with the brand as they prepare for their own exploration, wherever it may be.”
Customers will immediately feel The North Face heritage and experience the brand’s values in the updated retail space. Elements include a museum-like archive of the brand’s athlete expeditions and significant icon products, a signature Half Dome scent that will instantly transport customers to the outdoors, alongside the team known as “guides,” equipped to offer gear and exploration recommendations tailored to local adventure.
The 8,000 square foot store is the first of a number of planned updates to the brand’s locations globally, including Seattle and Cherry Hill, NJ in the coming weeks, as well as locations in Europe later this autumn. The North Face is committed to refreshing the majority of its fleet of stores by the end of 2024.
To mark the opening of the SoHo location, The North Face will host a grand opening event on Saturday, August 10, which will feature limited edition, custom basecamp duffel bags created in partnership with notable New York City artists including Adam Lucas and Eric Haze, as well as The North Face athlete Renan Ozturk.
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