MEC Outpost Opens at University of British Columbia
Students who love the outdoors are in for a treat at the University of British Columbia. In an unprecedented move, Mountain Equipment Co-op (MEC) has just opened an Outpost location at the UBC’s newly renovated and expanded Bookstore.
The leading Canadian outdoor retailer supports a variety of outdoor sports including hiking, climbing, cycling, camping, running and yoga. For a $5 lifetime membership fee, both students and the entire UBC community will be able to purchase high-quality lifestyle apparel and sports clothing at this convenient location that will carry more than 100 popular MEC-brand products. The 850-square-foot Outpost will give a portion of its monthly sales to the UBC Bookstore.
Chief Retail Operations Officer, Gary Faryon, notes that the UBC location is highly appropriate for sentimental reasons. “With the Outpost, MEC has come full circle,” says Faryon. “A handful of UBC students started the co-op in 1971, and forty-three years later we are excited to be back with a new MEC store format that will serve students and the wider university community right on campus.”
The University is also pleased with the opening as Debbie Harvie, Managing Director of University Community Services, expresses: “We are delighted to welcome MEC to UBC. Its high-quality products, sustainability practices and community engagement are in line with the UBC Bookstore’s values.”
An exciting feature the new Outpost store is the start of monthly activity clinics that staff at MEC will offer to the UBC Community. These will include things like yoga classes, a stand-up paddling seminar and running clinics, all at one convenient location on campus.
Part of the aim of the MEC clinics is to stress the importance of outdoor activities and of having an active lifestyle. When young people graduate from high school, research indicates that their activity levels drop. Being introduced to a sport like stand-up paddling can rekindle a person’s desire to get out there and enjoy what nature has to offer!
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