As someone who is not a fan of shopping, you would not typically find me in a store needing retail therapy, especially in an adventure town like Banff, Alberta. But recently, global design company and iconic outdoor brand Arc’teryx opened their first store located in Banff — a UNESCO World Heritage Site and hosted a number of journalists to show off the brand’s special location.
Initially founded by climbers in 1989 in British Columbia, Arc’teryx is known for specializing in technical high-performance apparel and equipment. For a brand with alpine roots, this latest store opening in one of the most iconic mountain communities in Canada makes sense, given Banff’s rugged landscape, mountain environment with constantly changing weather conditions, ease of access to adventure and endless outdoor activities for both residents and the tourists that visit (Banff is one of the top visited places in Canada!).
Sure, you might already have an Arc’teryx store where you live or a local retailer that offers Arc’teryx’s high-quality products, but here are five reasons to stop by the newest Arc’teryx store in Banff National Park:
1. There’s an Arc’teryx Gear Library
Are you visiting Banff but left your shell jacket or pants at home (and it’s calling for consecutive days of rain and snow when you’re in town)? Don’t let not having the right gear hold you back from adventure! The Banff store has a Gear Library, a curated collection of seasonal items that visitors can borrow for a fee and test out. The Gear Library is also a great opportunity for people who may be new to the brand to see first-hand how their gear performs. Items include their iconic technical jackets and shells, bib pants, and insulation layers. The $25 fee for borrowing items can go towards a new purchase.
2. Fix and improve your gear at the ReBIRD™ Service Centre
Do you already have Arc’teryx pieces that adventure with you everywhere and might have a broken zipper? Or some punctures from climbing or holes from standing too close to a campfire. Bring your damaged gear to their ReBIRD™ Service Centre for an assessment and perhaps even fixed on the spot!
Their ReBIRD™ Service Centre is a one-stop shop for product care, repair, and education. Learning how to take care of your gear also means prolonging its lifespan. Their ReBIRD initiative helps solidify their commitment to sustainability by keeping gear in use and out of landfills. For larger repairs they can’t fix in-store, they can advise on options for the item or coordinate sending it to another facility for repair.
They’ve even got a water pressure testing station to ensure repairs are 100% watertight!
Bonus: The Service Centre also offers technical washing! Cleaning your gear and refreshing the DWR water-repellent finish means keeping it performing its best! I’m not a fan of how long it takes to wash my puffer jackets properly, so I was happy to hear that this is part of the Banff store’s offerings.
3. Chat with the Knowledgeable Staff
The Gear Library and the ReBIRD™ Service Centre would not be possible without the knowledgeable and friendly staff in the store.
Everyone I talked to was enthusiastic about this new location and was excited to chat about their favourite outdoor activities, gear tips, and hiking trails they had yet to explore. When asked about recommended places for these activities, staff excitedly referred to their Maker’s Table Space.
While the sheer size of this table can be for laying out items (I do love a spacious gear staging area!), the table’s most striking feature is the three-dimensional topographic map of the Banff area. The visually stunning table acknowledges the Stoney Îyârhe Nakoda place names in the Îethka language and serves as a resource for staff and visitors to get a sense of the place they want to play in (this table is an awesome example of an adventure-themed ‘conversation piece’!)
The store team also completed their Avalanche Skills Training (AST1) together, which shows a brand’s investment in their staff’s professional and locally relevant development and support for the people who call the mountains home.
4. Attend their Community Events
Its location in a dedicated mountain community requires the same dedication and commitment to creating a space that truly supports the local outdoor community, including the athletes, ambassadors, friends and partners.
The Banff store recently hosted a running event with their Alberta ambassador @mradammertens and @meettheminotaur. You can join their Banff Strava group – https://www.strava.com/clubs/arcteryxbanff
They’ll also be hosting a special Arc’teryx Film Premiere and screening of likaiksimatsa’pao’p: an Arc’teryx film starring Alberta ambassador and @soul.of.miistaki founder Cassie Ayoungman (@cass.aym). likaiksimatsa’pao’p translates to ‘Grateful To Be On The Land.’ The film highlights Cassie’s journey of self-discovery through climbing—integrating Indigenous teachings and land-based learnings into climbing clinics to redefine relationships with the outdoors.
Community events and partnerships foster connection and a sense of community, raise awareness, increase skills development opportunities, and inspire excitement for different mountain and outdoor activities (and I love seeing this kind of support for their local ambassadors and community organizations!)
Follow @Arcteryx.Alberta for more info about local events – from group runs to movie screenings!
At Arc’teryx’s special press event, media members got to experience spring ice climbing with Yamnuska Mountain Adventures. We also learned some climbing tips from special guest, local and Arc’teryx pro athlete Will Gadd. Events and opportunities featuring community groups and athletes are a step for brands to go beyond the gear and engage with people who get out there.
5. Hang out (pun intended) in this cool space!
The new Arc’teryx store on 123 Banff Ave. is a breath of fresh air to the old Hudson Bay store. The 4,091 square feet space, designed to welcome the mountain community and visitors, uses elements like stone and wood that reflect nature and its local environment.
Check out the cool archaeopteryx cast on the wall (it’s not real; a lot of people asked about this).
For this first-time visit to the Arc’teryx Banff store, it was great to learn the brand’s embodiment of innovation and to see first-hand their commitment towards sustainability and circularity through their ReBIRD™ Service Centre, Gear Library, and their staff’s efforts to help educate consumers on how to maintain their gear so gear goes to landfill.
If there was a Banff living room space where the adventure community could come together to hang out, the Arc’teryx Banff store could be it.
Story by Diana Lee.
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