Posted Apr 26, 2011, 7:05 PM
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Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Halifax
Posts: 4,618
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Quote:
Outdoor stores leading downtown revival
New stores looking for success in city core
http://thechronicleherald.ca/Business/1240143.html
By GEOFF BIRD
Tue, Apr 26 - 4:53 AM
Outdoor equipment stores are at the forefront of Halifax’s downtown revival, bypassing government to bring retail business back to the city’s core.
Last year, Tao The Adventure Outfitters moved from Bayers Lake Business Park to the heart of downtown, about a block away from outdoor retail giant Mountain Equipment Co-op. Patagonia and The North Face are slated to open stores in late summer, all in locations within a few minutes walk of each other.
"I looked at it from a social aspect and thought if it was on Barrington, it could be a real game changer for the street," said Joachim Stroink, owner of the future North Face store.
Stroink said he considered a suburban location in Dartmouth Crossing, where customer traffic is guaranteed to be high, but in the end chose a location on Barrington Street in the old Carsand-Mosher building because of the boost it would give to the area.
"It would be the first corporate-branded store on the street and could really help the downtown core, because the politicians aren’t going to help."
Matt Ramsay, the manager of the Patagonia store currently under construction in the old Brewery Market on Lower Water Street, said it was the historic heritage of the buildings that attracted the company’s owner, Yvon Chouinard, to the downtown core.
"They would never build a new building; they use old historic buildings if they can," said Ramsay. "It was just the obvious choice. It’s got a lot of great character, so we thought it would be a great location."
All the new stores in close proximity are welcome competition, said George Zakher, part-owner and manager of Tao. When Tao moved from Bayers Lake to its current location off of Barrington Street, Zakher said many people thought it was crazy to leave the high-traffic business park to the dying downtown core, less than a block from his big competitor, Mountain Equipment Co-op.
"Business is actually doing very, very well," he said. The store has grown within the past year, Zakher said, and is now looking to expand its product lines.
Zakher said he isn’t worried about the added competition on his doorstep.
"It is a component that’s making this area a destination. You can come, park, eat and shop. It will hopefully give the public another option than the mega-mega store."
Denise McDonald, manager at Mountain Equipment Co-op, said clustering of outdoor equipment stores is consistent with the trend in other Canadian cities. She said MEC will move into an area first, with competitors moving in shortly after. Vancouver, Montreal, Toronto and Ottawa have MEC outlets with several other competitor outdoor equipment retailers within a couple minutes walking distance.
McDonald echoed the other outdoor retailers, saying increased competition is a good thing. Each store has a different product line, she said, making the stores complementary to each other.
"We think it’s great," said McDonald. "The more the merrier."
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 Wow Patagonia and The North Face! Both awesome stores, keep 'em coming! 
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