MEC to open new stores in south Calgary and west Calgary within three years

Outdoor retailer gears up to open new locations in Seton in fall 2018, Medicine Hill in 2019

VANCOUVER, July 19, 2016 /CNW/ - Calgary's go-to place for outdoor gear and know-how, MEC, today announced plans to open two new stores in the city over the next three years. Opening first, in fall 2018, a 30,000-square-foot location (21,000 retail) in Seton Urban District, south-east Calgary. Roughly six months later, in 2019, a west Calgary location will open in the Trinity Hills development within the new community of Medicine Hill.

The new south Calgary and west Calgary stores will complement the Co-op's existing 10^th Avenue store in the Beltline and enable MEC to better serve its 350,000-plus members in the area. Building and supporting the outdoor community in southern Alberta, and inspiring and enabling people to be active will be primary goals of the new stores, just as they are at MEC's existing location downtown.

MEC CEO David Labistour said, "Since the Co-op first opened in Calgary in 1977, MEC has been an integral part of the outdoor community and literally hundreds of thousands of members' adventures – close to home, in the mountain parks and beyond. These two new stores, Calgary South and Calgary West, promise to support many more adventures in the future, and be more accessible to members who live in those areas of the city."

Located at the 365-acre mixed-use Seton development next to Deerfoot Trail and near the new South Health Campus, the south Calgary store will feature a comprehensive assortment of products for the activities MEC supports: camping, climbing, hiking, cycling, running, fitness, yoga, paddlesports and snowsports. Services will include a full-service bike and ski tech shop, as well as equipment rentals and bike fitting stations. Like the main Beltline store, a community room will be available for use by local outdoor clubs.

MEC's west Calgary location, spanning 27,000-square-feet, will provide members with a similar product and service offering, as well as a community room and extensive event programming. The store will be adjacent to Canada Olympic Park within the Trinity Hills development. It will provide convenient access to more than 17 kilometres of hiking and biking trails within the community and the City of Calgary's new regional park on Paskapoo Slopes.

Jerry McGillivray, MEC's regional operations manager based in Calgary, said, "Besides being accessible to more members, Calgary South and Calgary West will serve as hubs for outdoor activity, just as the Beltline store does. We see great synergy between the stores and the outdoor activities that will take place near them."

The addition of the two new stores will further strengthen MEC's support of community-based projects in the Calgary area. The Co-op has invested in organizations involved in outdoor recreation or environmental conservation for many years, developing a solid connection to the community.

"MEC has deep roots in Calgary and has contributed more than $515,000 to local non-profits since 2010," said Meriko Kubota, Director of Strategic Partnerships and Community Investment. "Our two new locations will allow us to build on our existing ties, connect with more members and foster new relationships with local groups working to protect natural spaces and inspire Calgarians to be active outdoors."

Together, MEC's south and west Calgary stores will provide approximately 160 jobs through a mix of senior staff, full-time, part-time and casual positions.

The new Calgary stores deepen MEC's recent investments in Alberta. MEC's new South Edmonton Common location will open this fall, and the capital's downtown store will be relocated to the Edmonton Brewery District next spring. Additionally, new stores will open later this year in Laval, QC and North York, ON.

The store developments are part of an unprecedented period of growth for MEC. The Co-op's sales topped $350 million for the first time in 2015, while membership grew by more than 225,000. Today, one in six Albertans are members of Canada's largest retail co-operative. (continued on next page)

Seton, by Brookfield Residential, is one of the most comprehensive mixed-used developments in North America. Medicine Hill is a new neighbourhood on Calgary's west side created by Trinity Development Corporation.

About MEC
MEC (Mountain Equipment Co-op) is Canada's go-to place for outdoor gear, know-how and inspiration. Coupling high-quality apparel and equipment with expert advice and firsthand experience, MEC supports a wide range of activities including camping, snowsports, watersports, cycling, climbing, hiking, running, yoga and travel. Established in 1971, MEC is Canada's largest consumer co-operative with over 4 million members across the country. A lifetime membership is available for $5. A strong backer of community initiatives, MEC has invested over $29 million and counting into non-profit organizations that support outdoor recreation and conservation. For more information, visit www.mec.ca and follow @mec, or visit one of our 18 stores nationwide.

SOURCE MEC

Image with caption: "Outdoor retailer MEC is preparing to open two new Calgary locations in Seton (pictured) in fall 2018 and Medicine Hill in 2019. (CNW Group/MEC)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20160719_C2383_PHOTO_EN_736910.jpg

For further information: and to arrange an interview about the new stores or to obtain a rendering of MEC's Calgary South (Seton) store, please contact: Tory Nash, Account Executive at NKPR, [email protected], 416-365-3630, ext. 242; Andrew Sutherland, MEC Public Relations, [email protected], 778-320-4291 (mobile), 604-707-3304 (direct)