Wednesday, May 17, 2017

The North Face "Exploring" A Move to Lenox Square?

Outdoor apparel company coming to Lenox Square.

The North Face, a popular name in outdoor apparel, footwear and equipment, is planning to open a new store at Lenox Square in Buckhead in August.  The 4,452 square foot store will open adjacent to the soon-to-reopen Abercrombie & Fitch on the mall's second floor.  

The Abercrmbie store closed this past January to renovate and reopen as one of the first stores nationwide to debut the brand's new design and branding.  The company is spending about $2 million to renovate the store, which when it reopens, will be about 40% smaller, as The North Face has leased the balance.  

I contacted Abercrombie via Facebook to inquire about when they would be reopening and was told the following: "While we will miss being at the Lenox Square location, you can still check out all our trendy styles on Abercrombie.com." Confused, I confirmed with them that in fact the store was actively being renovated with signage referencing an imminent A&F reopening.  I subsequently received the following response: "We apologize for the confusion. We can't tell you just yet when it will open back up, but we're super excited!"

The North Face, part of Greensboro, North Carolina based VF Corp, already operates a Buckhead store at Buckhead Market Place on West Paces Ferry Road.  The 5,915 square foot store opened in 2008 in place of La Madeleine, a once popular French bakery cafe.  

The North Face also operates an outlet at the North Georgia Premium Outlets in Dawsonville.  

A representative from Alameda, California-based The North Face confirmed the upcoming store opening and indicated it will be in addition to, not instead of, the existing Buckhead store.  

While it is true that Sephora, a company with an existing store in Lenox Square, recently opened a second Buckhead store in Buckhead Exchange, a nearby shopping center, The North Face operating two stores so close together makes no sense.  The frequency of women's cosmetics purchases is far greater than the purchasing of outdoor apparel and accessories, so the idea that Buckhead could support two stores is highly improbable.   

What will likely happen is that The North Face will close their Buckhead Market Place store within a year or so, at the culmination of what was likely a ten year lease.  

In Lenox Square, The North Face will join fellow VF Corp brand Vans, the shoe retailer, which opened in the mall in 2012

Where do you shop for outdoor apparel and accessories?  Do you prefer The North Face, Patagonia or another brand? If The North Face does close its Buckhead Market Place store, what would you like to see open in its place?

Please share your thoughts below.  

5 comments:

Ham said...

I generally shop for outdoor apparel at REI. I have purchased some nice North Face stuff in the past, but now they seem to be more focused on selling logoed jackets for urban/suburban use instead of real outdoor stuff. I suspect that is what the Lenox store will carry and we’ll see how it goes. In general I purchase things now based on the quality/features/price of each item and not any specific brand. I like Patagonia, Mountain Hardware, Marmot, etc.

Anonymous said...

Maybe this will help them cut down on the smash & grabs at the West Paces Ferry location

ImAndy said...

Lived here 10 years and had no idea there was even a store in buckhead. Shipped at the one in Woodstock a few times at the outlets. Seems an odd fit for a location with such a high cost per square foot but maybe more people like me will be reminded they even exist ITP.

Anonymous said...

The North Face logo is important until one reaches high school

Anonymous said...

North Face gear is some of the best out there. I've personally tested various of their line through years of paddling, camping, and hiking. Their tents, jackets and parkas are designed tough and use the best materials and hardware. You get what you pay for!

Buckhead Native

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