Snow Peak USA has opened its U.S. headquarters and retail flagship in Portland, OR “designed to build community… and ‘invite customers to ‘Dwell Outdoors Together'”.
In 20 years, Snow Peak has grown its U.S. presence from a distributorship to a 40-person team with retail locations on both coasts and plans for growth in the next two decades. This new headquarters and flagship embodies the brand’s heritage and commitment to restoring humanity through time in nature.
“I first visited the U.S. many years ago and was inspired by its expansive natural beauty and many dedicated outdoor enthusiasts. I knew it was the place for Snow Peak to have an impact – and our HQ4 is a significant step in our North American expansion,” said Tohru Yamai, chairman of Snow Peak Inc. and CEO of Snow Peak USA. “In 2011, we opened HQ1 in Niigata, Japan and combined a retail store, campground and headquarters. Nothing like it had existed before, and it transformed the way we did business. In the same way, HQ4 merges our U.S. flagship store, restaurant and our brand offices – offering new avenues for connecting with customers and furthering our mission.”
Partnering with Skylab Architecture, the 15,000-square-foot project features retail space on two levels, with the U.S. headquarters on the upper floor and its restaurant, Takibi, on the ground floor. Designed to be a playground of outdoor equipment, the space invites customers to touch, feel and test products, with demos and space for interactive camp exhibits. A 1,800-square-foot patio, surrounded by greenery completes the project, bringing an outdoor experience into the design concept.
“Our U.S. team will come to work daily in an environment designed to inspire them, and literally be able to walk from their desk and interact with customers shopping for our product within our retail store, enjoying our product in our restaurant, and engaging with the outdoor community in our event spaces,” said Matt Liddle, COO at Snow Peak USA. “Community is deeply important to Snow Peak ,and our headquarters is built with that in mind.”
Construction on the project began in October of 2019 and continued under changing safety protocols throughout the spring of 2020 and COVID-19. Due to safety concerns, Snow Peak has chosen to postpone the opening of its restaurant space until indoor dining safely returns. Snow Peak anticipates the restaurant will open in 2021.
“Snow Peak has long held that time spent outdoors with others is restorative to the human spirit, and an antidote to the stresses of modern life,” added Liddle. “As COVID emerged as one of the defining crises of our generation, time outside with a small group of loved ones provides the moments of respite so many are longing for. Snow Peak creates products and experiences that help people to spend more quality time outdoors – whether in the backyard or the backcountry – and that’s resonated with consumers through this crisis.”
Snow Peak USA’s grand opening on September 11 will observe all mandated COVID-19 safety protocols.
Photo courtesy Snow Peak USA
