MEC in recievership

Posted by: PaulB

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.

My 25 year old Serratus pack is still kicking and in pretty good shape I am told.  I lent it to a buddy about 10 years ago and he still uses it.  :)

I never made any conscious decisions to go to MEC less, but it always seemed that when I did pop in and browse I wouldn't usually buy anything.  I can buy name brand bike shorts from an LBS.

Ya that 90s early 2000s house brand stuff doesn’t die. I’ve got a tent, sleeping bag, a couple duffles, and shorts. All of them just don’t die.

One of the original founders was interviewed on CBC radio today and asked about the failure. She basically echoed everything said here.

What gets me is they get the tax breaks yet nothing is cheaper in price like it used to be. 

Too bad I really liked the vibe in the old location on main before they moved.

They poured all that money into expansion and poof!

At least they got the new Broadway store built.

Why are people so emotionally attached to paying more for items one can purchase from any other online retailer for less?

Because it used to be something special.  Friends of my folks used to work there, sewing tents and going on adventures together.  When I was a kid they were the only place to get a lot of the stuff they had - I took a couple trips in high school to buy climbing gear and hit the indoor gyms as some of my first little roadies in my own. 

For the last few years I’ve come to believe that they were ripping the taxpayer off as they’re just like any other store.

Posted by: Endur-Bro

Why are people so emotionally attached to paying more for items one can purchase from any other online retailer for less?

Because much of the profit was used for positive environmental projects. 

The NSMBA would not be where it is today without grants and sponsorship from MEC. MEC grants were used to springboard from struggling volunteer board to paid administration staff. It seems small but it's a quantum leap in capacity.

For anyone who lived outside a major city, the MEC catalogue and mail/phone ordering was the enabler of many adventures. I can still remember my credit card number from 30 years ago from reciting it to customer service so many times ordering climbing gear that I otherwise would have had to drive 10 hours to buy in person.  Eventually going to an MEC store was almost like a pilgramage.

I think there are a lot of people in the 40+ demographic for whom MEC was a major part of their outdoor experience. It's dissapointing that they self-destructed in pursuit of pointless growth. They probably could have stayed at four or five stores, plus online shopping, and been profitable for decades.

What did building those two structures on 2nd ave have to do w/this?

I joined MEC when it was in the quonset hut on 4th.

https://www.change.org/p/members-of-mec-anyone-who-has-purchased-anything-from-mec-save-mec?

Posted by: earleb

Posted by: Endur-Bro

Why are people so emotionally attached to paying more for items one can purchase from any other online retailer for less?

Because much of the profit was used for positive environmental projects. 

The NSMBA would not be where it is today without grants and sponsorship from MEC. MEC grants were used to springboard from struggling volunteer board to paid administration staff. It seems small but it's a quantum leap in capacity.

Love this post for the obvious but also how it speaks to why the philosophy of organizations like MEC are important

I had outdoor buds in the Okanagan who would describe the location of any thing in Vancover by its relationship/ proximity to MEC

probably the glory years were on 6th when Taiga works was across the p-lot

The early Coop members were UBC Varsity outdoor club types who would now be 65-70ish

I wonder if maybe what MEC had become was a symptom of what the world has become,

I mean whom would start an MEC today ?

Posted by: XXX_er

I wonder if maybe what MEC had become was a symptom of what the world has become,

I mean whom would start an MEC today ?

I think that's an important point... brick and mortar shopping has obviously taken a huge hit in the last 10 years with the rise of online shopping, and MEC is basically just like a cooler version of a department store. I'd imagine that pretty much all department stores are in financial trouble (or at least close to it) these days.