Arc'teryx Opens a Store That is Basically a Climbing Gym With a Register
The outdoor brand's new Venice Beach location skips the usual retail playbook for a climbing wall, a film series, and a lounge stocked with alpinist lore.
Arc'teryx opened its first climbing-focused retail concept this past weekend at 1116 Abbot Kinney Blvd. in Venice, California, the brand's fourth Los Angeles store and fifth in Southern California. Instead of a standard apparel layout, the space is built around a climbing wall that can be activated for events, a "beta lounge" stocked with climbing guidebooks and copies of Alpinist and Summit Journal, and a rotating film series called "Arc Presents."
Delaney Schweitzer, general manager of Arc'teryx North America, said climbing "is part of our DNA" and that the store reflects "a different kind of retail experience, grounded in the sport culture that has always defined Arc'teryx." The curated product mix includes Arc'teryx climbing apparel and gear alongside third-party climbing brands, a notable move for a company that does not usually share shelf space.
It is a bet that has become common among outdoor and performance brands: retail space doubles as a community hub, not just a transaction point, on the theory that someone who shows up for a free film screening is a lot more likely to buy a premium shell jacket than someone who just wanted to browse.
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Source: FashionNetwork US
Kyle Duford, Founder & Editor, BRNDWIRE. More from Kyle →
