The North Face has upped its stake in New York City with a new store in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn and plans to expand of its Fifth Avenue flagship by late 2025.
The new 5,000-square-foot Brooklyn site, at 102 North Sixth Street, will be the outdoor brand’s first store with a “dedicated” Renewed shop-in-shop for remade items, carabiners, climbing rope and additional climbing hardware. Nature-inspired elements are integrated into the interior design to showcase The North Face’s assortment of men’s, women’s, kids and accessories, as well as footwear. The company cited footwear as “an important growth area for the business.”
Williamsburg has become a mecca for upscale brands with recent store openings by Chanel Beauty, Bobbi Brown’s Jones Road, Madewell and Danish contemporary brand Ganni.
Across the East River in Manhattan, The North Face is expanding its 511 Fifth Avenue store to more than 20,000 square feet of retail space. The company, which also has a store in SoHo, said the project is designed to amplify the brand’s heritage and product innovations.
The North Face in Williamsburg.
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Recently, The North Face enhanced its Renewed trade in program by allowing customers to return pre-owned items to stores for credits that can be used for purchases online or in-store. The brand’s website indicates that when customers trade in eligible items, they will receive $10, $30 or $50 in credit toward their next purchase at thenorthface.com or in The North Face stores. Accepted items get inspected, cleaned and repaired before being offered for resale. The Renewed program reflects a commitment to circular fashion, sustainability and an effort to avoid contributing to landfill waste.
“The North Face has been a well-worn uniform for New Yorkers throughout the streets of this great city for years,” said Caroline Brown, The North Face’s global brand president, in a statement. Brown became global brand president in June after stepping down from the board of VF Corp., the parent company of The North Face. Earlier in her career, she served as chief executive officer of Donna Karan International and as managing director of New York investment firm Closed Loop Partners.
Brown said the Williamsburg store is “inspired by the core elements of mountaineering where we were born in 1966, and will offer pieces that work from the mountain to the street and is the first of our U.S. stores to house a dedicated curation of our Renewed products. More to come in 2025 for The North Face and New York.”
The North Face’s latest campaign carries the tag line “We Play Different” and is inspired by athletes and explorers “who push themselves to the limits of known capacity and beyond, inspiring us all,” Brown recently said. “It is a mindset that embraces adventure and adrenaline in all forms.”
The North Face was founded in 1966 with the goal of preparing athletes with gear for their outdoor adventures. The brand is a centerpiece of the VF portfolio, which includes Vans, Timberland and Dickies, among others. Back in August, VF posted first-quarter net losses of $258.9 million on a 9 percent drop in revenues to $1.9 billion.
The North Face in Williamsburg.
Courtesy image
