THE NORTH FACE UNVEILS NEW RETAIL STRATEGY AT SOHO STORE

The North Face has announced a new global retail strategy, beginning with the opening of a new store in the historic SoHo neighborhood of Manhattan on Friday, August 9. 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 The North Face retail environment to a space that feels more like the brand and less like a store.

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.

Design elements include a museum-like archive of The North Face 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, located at 584 Broadway, 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 fall. The North Face is committed to refreshing the majority of its fleet of stores by the end of 2024.

“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’re 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.”

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.