Dive Brief:
- The North Face opened a new flagship store in Manhattan, New York, the outdoor brand announced on Nov. 21. The location is the brand’s largest globally and is meant to bridge physical and digital experiences.
- The two-story, 21,000-square-foot location features a two-and-a-half-story LED screen wrapped around its walls and ceiling. The screen will display visuals from athletes, including the brand’s “Expedition Style Approach” film by climber, filmmaker and The North Face athlete Renan Ozturk.
- The store concept of “above and below the treeline” is designed to inspire discovery through a non-linear layout that mirrors the natural terrain of the outdoors. The retailer also dedicated a space within the store to highlight its Summit Series line, per the release.
Dive Insight:
With its new flagship location, The North Face wants to help shoppers visualize its products within the great outdoors and bring natural aesthetics to Fifth Avenue.
On the ground floor, visitors will see gray cork panels with climbing topos, featuring routes of significance to climbing history, and lantern-like installations made with the brand’s tent materials. The second floor features terrazzo inspired by alpine terrain and cairns with stone bases to display the brand’s products. The brand also pays homage to New York City in its fitting rooms.
“Pushing the boundaries of how people experience the outdoors is core to our ethos at The North Face, and our Fifth Avenue flagship is a powerful example of where we are headed as a hub for exploration," Dennis Seydel, chief marketing officer of The North Face, said in a statement.
The flagship opening follows leadership changes at the brand. Caroline Brown was named global brand president of The North Face by parent company VF Corp in June 2024. Brown was previously the CEO of Donna Karan International and, prior to joining The North Face, was managing director at investment firm Closed Loop Partners, where she led the fashion practice.
The North Face has driven growth for parent company VF Corp. In the company’s latest earnings, the brand saw a 6% jump in revenue year over year. The VF Corp’s overall revenue in Q2 rose 2% from a year prior to $2.8 billion.
VF Corp is going through a turnaround, and this spring announced that it had laid off around 400 employees globally.
