Go Outdoors held the grand opening of their largest store this weekend, an event which attracted a huge crowd.
The newly refurbished GO Outdoors store has claimed the title of the largest outdoor store in Europe.
Excitement has been building for the new store which boasts credentials such as:
- An astounding 125,000sq. Ft of space with over 380 brands
- 30 branded concession areas including the biggest Yeti store in Europe
- A new Garmin store with the most extensive range on display in the UK.
- The store hosts the first-ever Adidas Terrex in-store concession in the UK
- Stanley’s largest store in Europe with the biggest range of products available.
- The biggest World of Weber concession with more than 30 grills on display.
- A Whitestores Outdoor living store as well as Leisure Lakes latest cycling concept store.
Alpine Cafe, a new concept cafe where customers can enjoy fresh meals made locally with sourced products.
Brand ambassador and TV presenter Helen Skelton attended alongside CEO Lee Bagnall to help cut the ribbon and officially open the store at 9 am.
Brand ambassador Helen Skelton said: “I am genuinely always overwhelmed in the best way about the volume of people who come and how far they travel to join in with our store openings. It’s amazing to see people queuing outside ready for the opening, and it is worth it! The brand new York Go Outdoors store is lovely, it has an incredible atmosphere and is filled with lovely people helping customers get stuck into their adventures!”
Alongside celebrity appearances, face painters, balloon modellers and DJs showcased their talents to the thousands of visitors, and prizes and free goodie bags were given to the first 500 groups of people who entered the store on Saturday.
Members of the public shared their excitement about the store, commenting “I’m on my way, this looks epic” “It’s that big you can fly a drone inside! Looking forward to visiting guys.” and “Wow! Our kind of shop!”
Nik Hodges, GO York Store Manager said: “I am incredibly proud to have opened the biggest outdoor store in Europe, it’s been incredible to see the excitement build on social media from the people of York and beyond. Not only is the store a great achievement for GO Outdoors, but we believe it will be a great boost for York too. We are thrilled with the response so far for the store, especially from the local community who have really reinforced our belief that York is the perfect location for our landmark store.”
The pair also met with members of the Mind charity, whom Helen worked with on the ‘Hats on for Mind’ charity campaign, and handed over a cheque of over £216,000! Since their collaboration, GO Outdoors has raised over £442,000 for the mental health charity.
Lee Bagnall, CEO of GO Outdoors comments “It’s been an amazing day, with thousands of people in attendance. It’s by far the biggest store opening we’ve done and really proud of our entire team who have made this happen”.
The store has been a huge boost to the local community also, creating 42 new jobs with 28 employees joining from the old GO Outdoors York store.
These roles include experts who will be on hand to assist members of the public with helmet, boot and backpack fittings as well as bike and kit repairs. There will be interactive concepts with OS reality maps and a dedicated mountaineering area.
GO Outdoors York sells a range of new brands, including Sweaty Betty, Under Armour, Regatta X Orla Kiely, Crewe Clothing, Hunter, Spotty Otter, Thule and Karcher.
The store’s address is: Vangarde Shopping Park Vangarde Way Huntington York YO32 9AE
For more information, including store opening times at: https://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/stores/go-outdoors-york
About GO Outdoors
GO Outdoors was founded in Sheffield in 1998. Now with over 75 stores and 250 outdoor brands across 9 different activities, GO Outdoors has grown to become one of the UK’s biggest and most loved outdoor retail chains. The company is well known around the UK for offering unbeatable in-store ranges of quality outdoor equipment and clothing, with the aim of inspiring everyone to get outdoors for less and love it as much as they do.
By employing thousands of outdoor enthusiasts, each chosen for their passion for outdoor activity, the brand ensures that customers receive great advice, great products, all at discount prices. The GO Outdoors Member’s card unlocks unbeatable prices across departments and can be purchased online or in-store, priced at £5 for an annual membership.
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