Bethany Biron/Business Insider
The North Face store in Soho, Manhattan.
- The North Face is revamping its global physical store strategy, debuting a new aesthetic starting with its store in Soho, Manhattan. The interactive store is centered on "base camps for exploration," with differentiated spaces depending on activity type and apparel needs.
- The North Face has also put a concerted effort into spotlighting its heritage and sustainability efforts, which are evident throughout the store.
- We took a tour of the new space and learned about the inspiration for the refreshed concept.
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The North Face is rolling out a refreshed global
On Friday, the outdoor retailer opened the doors to its new store in Soho, a sprawling, two-story location that reflects The North Face's increased efforts around sustainability and celebrating its heritage.
Mark Parker, vice president of direct to consumer at The North Face, said the retailer was methodical in developing the new aesthetic, which integrates flourishes like chairs made out of recycled duffle bags, as well as a specially formulated scent intended to smell like a visit to Yosemite National Park.
"Instead of only providing a seamless consumer experience, which used to be the sole purpose of the store, now the purpose is to inspire and enable experiences, because that's where we were born back in '66," Parker said. "That's our heritage. We were born on a mountain and adopted by the city."
The New York City location is the first in a forthcoming series of global renovations, which The North Face plans to roll out to each of its stores by 2024.
Parker took us on a tour of the store in advance of its official opening on August 9. Here's what we saw.