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Feature Patagonia Gets the Celebrity Treatment Patagonia is not only about surf wear and gear, it sells goods for alpine and rock climbing, yoga, fly fishing, rowing and running. This May, Patagonia, Inc. will be opening a new store in Cardiff by the Sea, CA, adding to the chain’s roster of 23 units operating nationwide, and 44 worldwide. Stateside, the company has the strongest concentration of stores in the western states, while operating nine units in the eastern region. The newest store will occupy the first floor of a 3,000 sq.ft. building, located on San Elijo Avenue. “We couldn’t have asked for a better location for our new shop,” Patagonia Surf ambassador, Chris Malloy, stated. “It’s an honor to have our first surf shop in such a historic surf town.”
The news of the opening alone would be quite thrilling for the outdoor apparel company, which had sales of $240 million in 2005. However, this time there would be an even better reason to celebrate. Devon Howard, the pro surfer slash former managing editor of Longboard Magazine, will take on his latest role as the store’s manager. And when the store’s offering a new line of environmentally sensitive surf equipment, who better to run it than a man experienced with the extreme sport? So experienced, in fact, that Devon has not only been published in numerous industry magazines, such as The Surfer’s Journal and Pacific Longboard, but his moves have also been featured on the big screen.
For some cynics, taking the time to manage the ocean-inspired store may seem as a bit of a stretch, but Devon doesn’t seem to mind. “I’m excited to be working with Patagonia and the Malloys to bring this new store to Cardiff,” the top-ranked surfer expressed. Adding to his enthusiasm, Devon also takes the time to make the local citizens aware of the store’s activism, saying, “We want to be an active voice for more ecological awareness in the local surf community. We’re a two minute walk from Cardiff Reef and want to work on local issues like restoring the nearby San Dieguito Lagoon that drains right into the reef.” But the good deeds haven’t started just now. Patagonia is recognized for all of its past commitments. The company has contributed over $22 million to grassroots environmental activists with its Environmental Grants Program. In addition to that, its Environmental Internship Program enables employees to work for environmental groups while receiving their full paycheck. Since 1996, Patagonia has used only organically grown cotton in its clothing line, and has been creative enough to use recycled soda bottles in many of its polyester fleece garments. The company’s actions even made Patagonia deserving of that one title so many businesses vie for, Fortune’s “100 Best Companies to Work for in America.” The company’s mission statement is, “to make the best product, cause no unnecessary harm and to use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis.”
Most of Patagonia’s older stores occupy spaces of 4,000 sq.ft to 8,000 sq.ft., while their newer stores utilize 5,000 sq.ft to 8,000 sq.ft. Future plans for expansion are definitely possible. However, the company is not aggressively seeking new locations. Preferred sites include urban centers with high demographics and high concentrations of direct customers. “We also tend to move into historic buildings, fix them up and then give something back to the community,” says Coley Malloy, from Patagonia Public Relations.
For more information, contact Steve Hitchcock, Patagonia, Inc., 259 West Santa Clara Street, Ventura, CA 93001; 805-643-8616, Fax 805-653-1159; Web site: www.patagonia.com. |