Arc'teryx Equipment has opened a store on Abbot Kinney Boulevard in Venice that the company calls its first retail concept dedicated exclusively to climbing.
The store at 1116 Abbot Kinney Blvd. opened Saturday, Oct. 3. It is the North Vancouver, Canada-based apparel and equipment company's fourth location in Los Angeles and fifth in Southern California.
Along with Arc'teryx climbing apparel and equipment and a curated selection of third-party climbing products, the store includes a climbing wall, a lounge, an outdoor patio and a beta board where local climbers can gather, train, learn and connect.
"At Arc'teryx climbing is part of our DNA and community has always been core to how we think about retail," said Delaney Schweitzer, the company's general manager for North America.
Schweitzer said the store was designed to preserve the character of an existing building while creating a flexible space that can shift between retail, climbing and community programming.
The built-in Grasshopper climbing wall can be activated for events, with routes and holds updated regularly by local partner Long Beach Rising. The store's Beta Lounge features furniture from local design studio WAKA WAKA, climbing guidebooks and current issues of Alpinist and Summit Journal.
Large-scale athlete imagery and displays of photographs, artifacts, books and written narratives highlight the people and preparation behind significant ascents. A rotating projection series, Arc Presents, will bring climbing films and other content into the space.
The patio can be configured for workshops, small gatherings and screenings, and flexible fixtures allow the retail floor to host films, workshops, talks and other events.
Arc'teryx has worked with local climbing partners including ABA and Long Beach Rising, which will help shape events, workshops and in-store climbing experiences. Long Beach Rising will also support the store's selection of third-party climbing products.
"Our best stores are shaped by the communities they serve," said Stephanie Jamieson, the company's senior director of brand community for North America.
Jamieson said the goal was to create a place where Los Angeles climbers would want to spend time, learn from one another and connect with the local scene.
The store is open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.
Arc'teryx products are sold through more than 160 branded stores and more than 2,400 retail locations worldwide.
Edited by SMDP Staff