Snow Peak Sets Its Sights On New Flagship Store And US Headquarters In Portland

Snow Peak, the innovative outdoor lifestyle company, is moving and expanding its US flagship store and company headquarters to a new location on NW 23rd in Portland, Oregon. The two-story, 14,000-square-foot space at 404 NW 23rd will enable Snow Peak to expand its headquarters and create an inviting and immersive customer experience melding beautifully curated retail, restaurant and bar spaces.

Snow Peak is an innovator of outdoor lifestyle products designed in Japan. Snow Peak first established the US headquarters of the brand in Portland in 2007. Portland’s easy access to nature and Portlanders’ appreciation for good design made it a natural fit as Snow Peak USA’s home. It opened its first retail location in 2013 in the Pearl District at 410 NW 14th Ave. The Portland store is the only location outside of Japan for customers to experience the entire Snow Peak line. The company opened a store in Manhattan's lively Soho neighborhood in the spring of 2015, with a focus on Snow Peak’s innovative apparel line, inspired by nature and Japanese craftsmanship.

“Northwest 23rd Avenue one of the best shopping streets in the country. Plus, it’s nestled beneath a lush forest with miles of trails. It’s at the intersection of urban and nature; the perfect location for our US flagship store,” said Matt Liddle, chief operating officer at Snow Peak USA. “Snow Peak is growing both in our product offerings and staff. We will showcase all the brand has to offer and serve as a hub for the neighborhood and the outdoor community.”

Named “One of America’s Best Shopping Streets” in 2012 by US News & World Report, Northwest 23rd Avenue is a charming neighborhood filled with shops and stores with gifts for every occasion — all within an easy walk of each other. Neighboring tenants include an eclectic mix of both premium national brands and independent shops and restaurants like Arc’teryx, Restoration Hardware and Salt and Straw.

“We are excited to welcome Snow Peak’s US Flagship store to NW 23rd Ave,” Megan Crosby, portfolio director at Urban Development + Partners, landlord of the new location. “Recognized for innovation and quality in outdoor lifestyle products, Snow Peak will be an excellent addition to the diverse collection of retailers in the neighborhood.”

The new flagship retail space will showcase Snow Peak’s entire line of Japanese-designed, lifetime-guaranteed products for outdoor living – in the backcountry, at a campsite, or in the backyard. The space will feature retail on two levels and the US brand headquarters on the upper floor. Snow Peak has always been a brand that brings people together around fire and food. Fittingly, the new US headquarters will feature a restaurant and bar on the ground floor, serving Japanese-inspired dishes melded with a Pacific Northwest flavor.

Renovation on the new space begins in late Spring 2019. The flagship retail and restaurant location are slated to open in early 2020.

Snow Peak’s journey began in 1958, when its founder Yukio Yamai, an accomplished Japanese mountaineer, created his own line of superior gear out of the dissatisfaction with available products.

Yamai ‘s natural inspiration came from his life in Niigata Prefecture, Japan. A range of mountains that rise up to an altitude of 1000m form a wall on the boundary between Niigata and Fukushima prefectures, and the rivers and streams born from the peaks and valleys flow out to the East Japan Sea. It is this place that inspired Yukio, and to this day continues to inspire all of the products that come from Snow Peak.