Performance apparel brand Arc’teryx has opened its first global flagship store in Shanghai, its largest store to date.
Called the Arc’teryx Alpha Center, the store occupies a 8000sqft area, offering what the brand describes as an “experiential design and apparel from each of the brand’s performance, lifestyle, and Veilance collections”.
“We wanted to create a shopping experience that was unique not only to our brand, but also to our customers as well,” said Megan Cheesbrough, VP of Retail, Arc’teryx. “As a brand, we want to encourage everyone to enjoy the outdoors, and with this in mind, we’ve decided to bring the outdoors in by incorporating the concept of hut-to-hut touring into our store design.”
The flagship features four different experiential huts. The Hardshell Hut is located at the store’s front, featuring a triangular kaleidoscope LED screen displaying views of the sweeping Canadian mountain landscape. The Gore-tex Hut features a “rain room,” allowing customers to try on and water-test the technical functions of Gore-tex products.
While the Hardgoods Hut houses a selection of the brand’s hardgoods, the Brand Hut features a virtual reality module that changes seasonally, a community lounge, and an events board.
“We want to create an unparalleled shopping experience at Arc’teryx Alpha Center, and one of the ways we could do this is to offer a selection of different products serving different purposes, all in one space,” said Cheesbrough. “Whether you’re looking for a pair of trail running shoes and a climbing harness, or an insulated hardshell and an urban-styled coat, we want Arc’teryx to be available to everyone.”
Arc’teryx operates 30 retail stores across China – 22 branded stores and seven factory outlets.