MEC in recievership

comment ?

F

should have spent more on diversity.

Does this mean I get my 5 bucks back?

https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/mec-acquired-private-investment-firm-1.5723934

Sold to an America investment Co...

It sucks....but they set the wheels in motion when they tried to become another outdoor lifestyle company that needed to continuously grow instead of sticking to supplying solid gear for self-propelled recreation.

Hard to believe given the veritible explosion in outdoor recreation in the last few years.

Ironically, REI, on which MEC was modelled, has been leaning hard into their co-op roots and image for several years (not that they actually act like a co-op anymore).

So poorly managed. Everyone knew this was coming for a long time... But hey they had a ton of money to spend on new really flashy buildings.

Sad but they lost their “co-op” way a long time ago. I loved receiving the catalogues in the 90s and dreaming of adventures. 

They stopped being a real coop a long time ago and it always rubbed me wrong they were still benefiting tax wise from that status when in reality they were anything but.

The last few posts here are spot on imo and echo a lot of comments I've seen in other places. Anyone who's shopped there over the past decade or more could see the changes happening. I think the saddest part is that there were a lot of good staff over the years that were still delivering that original experience and saw what was happening but felt powerless to do anything about. Senior management and the board need to hang their heads in shame for how they let a good thing fall apart.

22 sores in total, did Vancover & Calgary really need 3 stores each, 2 stores in Edmonton,  not that sure about the rest of Canada and  the product line kind of sucks, whereas in the 90's it was some great stuff

I miss their really quality MEC branded gear. It was always so bomber. That was what mostly drew me there. I stopped going there as a first stop years ago when they lost that way and moved into this lifestyle brand with the associated prices and quality. 

Still use my nearly 20 year old MEC duffel gear bag with the original logo and it looks like a lightly used product.

Posted by: XXX_er

22 sores in total, did Vancover & Calgary really need 3 stores each, 2 stores in Edmonton,  not that sure about the rest of Canada and  the product line kind of sucks, whereas in the 90's it was some great stuff

Totoslly agree. Way too many storefronts. That model can only work with consistent growth. 

They could have done exceptionally well if they limited storefronts and focused on the online catalogue model. They excelled with that in the 90s and early 2000s.

The mid-90s were definitely peak MEC... loved getting those dividend cheques to spend on even more gear! Their Serratus house brand packs were pretty good, and a lot of stuff was still made in Canada. As a climber, it was like a candy store, you could not get better prices anywhere. My commuting backpack is a 25 year old MEC brand one which seems to be indestructible.

Depending on how it plays out, this is potentially a huge opportunity for local shops to further fill niche markets and leave the trendy stuff to Forzani.

I remember looking forward to the catalogue coming out.  They had solid products and experienced, knowledgable staff.  Shocking how badly they stumbled in recent years.  Their move towards trendy, lifestyle gear and clothes was a colossal fuck up.  Seems like they chased away the diehard, loyal customers in favor of...what, im not sure.