Swedish outdoor-apparel retailer Peak Performance has opened a second store in Vancouver.

The new outlet is located at 813 Burrard Street, the chain’s first downtown location in the city. Peak hopes the store will build on the success of what the company calls a “concept store” in the Kitsilano area that opened in 2023.

“We think that Vancouver makes the ultimate Mecca in terms of the closeness to a place of activity, in that case skiing, and also [has] the mountains and oceans and all that,” said Marcus Grönberg, Peak’s vice-president for North America,, explaining why the company, which focuses on ski apparel, wanted to open a second location in the city.

“So, Vancouver as city with its surroundings and also how active the people are here, it’s a perfect fit for for the brand, basically,”

The Burrard Street location is larger than the 1,900-square-foot Kits store and sells some different merchandise. Both of Peak’s Vancouver locations are corporate stores. The company also has a franchise outlet in Whistler, B.C.

Shifting with the seasons, the new Burrard store will offer a curated, seasonally shifting selection of high-performance apparel for skiing, hiking, mountain biking, and everyday urban adventure, Peak said previous. The Burrard store is larger than the Kitsilano location and features an expanded product assortment.

The new store is right across the street from competitor Arc’teryx, but Grönberg views the proximity as an advantage because the two retailers can attract more customers.

“It’s only good having them around,” he said. “We’re part of the same [clothing] group but we think we bring something else.”

He also believes that nearby Lululemon and Adidas outlets, will also help Peak gain new customers.

Peak intends to use Vancouver as a launching pad for more Canadian expansion, but does not have specific timeline. The chain has four Canadian locations, the two in Vancouver, one in Whistler and one, a franchise, in Mont Tremblant, Que..

The company is exploring setting up locations in or near Calgary, Banff, Alta., and Mont Tremblant, he said.

Peak is also examining expansion opportunities, where it has a partnership with sporting-goods retailer REI. The American chain sells some of Peak-branded clothing in its stores.

Potential Peak locations in the U.S., include Denver; Aspen, Colo., and Boulder, Colo., along with Salt Lake City. The company does not currently have any of its own U.S. stores.

As in Canada, Peak has not set a timeline for expansion in the U.S.

“We’re keen on finding the right location rather a location,” he said. “So, it’s hard to say today a specific timeline. But I can say that we have exciting plans going forward.”

Peak manufactures its own products at various global facilities but does not have a plant in Canada.

Photo: Courtesy of Peak Performance