By John Ewoldt
Star Tribune
WWR Article Summary (tl;dr) Canada Goose first installed a cold room in a store it opened in Tokyo two years ago. It has since put them in new stores that have opened since Short Hills, N.J., Boston and Montreal. Now Minneapolis adds its name to the list.
Star Tribune
Remember how cold Minneapolis was when it hosted the Super Bowl last year? The head of Canada Goose does.
Dani Reiss, chief executive of the Toronto-based luxury outerwear brand, walked from a downtown hotel to the game at U.S. Bank Stadium when the temperature was -6 and windchill reading was -25. The moment helped him realize the Twin Cities would be a good place for a Canada Goose store.
On Thursday, the company will open a store in the Mall of America, its fifth in the U.S. and 20th worldwide.
“Being there then truly cemented my belief that it was the right place for us to be,” Reiss said. “Consumers don’t let the weather stop them here and now have the product to empower them to do so. It’s great spot for a global brand like us.”
The company is 62 years old, but it became a global phenomenon after Reiss, a grandson of founder Sam Tick, became chief executive in 2001. Its most famous parka, the Snow Mantra, weighs more than eight pounds, has a warmth factor that protects to minus 40 degrees and sells for $1,595. Other parkas start at $850 for men and women while stocking caps start at $95.
“People tell me all the time after trying on a Canada Goose jacket that it’s the first time they’ve ever truly been warm,” Reiss said.
Shoppers at its Mall of America store will get to test the performance of Canada Goose parkas and coats in a room that has been cooled to -13 Fahrenheit. Blowers can simulate wind gusts in the room.
“It allows people to engage the numerous features of our coats that some consumers may be flippant of or not necessarily realize just how necessary they are,” Reiss said. “If you’re not a ‘gear junkie,’ you may not know when to engage a snow skirt or the underarm zippers or how to appropriately use our jackets’ draw cords.”
Canada Goose first installed a cold room in a store it opened in Tokyo two years ago. It has since put them in new stores that have opened since Short Hills, N.J., Boston and Montreal.
The company recently ventured into raincoats, lightweight jackets and knitwear such as sweaters. Those products now account for about one-third of its total revenue. Canada Goose parkas are known for coyote-fur trim, but the brand also offers many parkas without fur trim.
Several high-end department stores carry the brand, including Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue and Nordstrom. Locally, the brand is also carried at Nordstrom MOA and Ridgedale, Hoigaard’s in St. Louis Park, and Black Blue in Minneapolis and St. Paul.
Canada Goose will be on the first floor of the Mall of America’s west side, an area that has seen a makeover this year. Several other new stores have recently opened or will soon open at MOA, including Aritzia, Duluth Trading Co., Arc’teryx, Legacy Toys and M Health Fairview.
Aritzia opened earlier this month, also on level one west. The Canadian retailer’s first Minnesota location sells up-to-the-minute women’s fashions but a higher price point and quality than H&M. Fans of the brand that sells only its own exclusive lines include Meghan Markle, Kendall Jenner and Hailey Barber.
Duluth Trading Co. has Minnesota stores in Fridley, Woodbury and Bloomington as well as Red Wing and Duluth. The casual workwear and outdoor store was founded in Duluth in 1989 and is now based in Mount Horeb, Wis. It will open new concept store in November on level one north.
Company reps are mum on the details but said that it will be about 1,600 square feet, a much smaller store compared to the Bloomington location on Lyndale at 14,000 square feet. It will also include an entertainment element.
After closing in Uptown on Sunday, Arc’teryx will reopen in Mall of America in November on level one west. The high-end outdoor apparel company specializes in apparel and accessory brands for climbing, hiking, trail running and skiing.
Legacy Toys, an Ely-based independent toy store is set to open on the third floor west before the holidays. It recently opened in former Creative Kidstuff locations in the Galleria and Ridgedale.
A health clinic from M Health Fairview opens on level three east in November. Nurse practitioners, X-ray technicians, and medical and physician assistants can help with minor illnesses, injuries and other routine needs such as travel health consultations for international travel, physicals for school, sports and summer camps, vaccinations and employer drug screenings. The 2,300 square-foot space includes five exam rooms, lab and radiology room.
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