Mountain Equipment Co-op

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Mountain Equipment Co-op

Type	Co-operative
Founded	Vancouver, British Columbia (1971)
Headquarters	Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Key people	Peter Robinson, CEO
Industry	outdoor equipment
Website	www.mec.ca

Mountain Equipment Co-op (MEC) is a Canadian collectively owned retail co-operative, selling outdoor gear and clothing. MEC is notable for not advertising, and donating a significant portion of its total sales to environmental projects and other causes. Everyone who shops at MEC must own a $5 lifetime share in the co-operative. MEC bills itself as Canada's largest supplier of outdoor equipment, with more than two million members. Since its founding in Vancouver, British Columbia in 1971, MEC has expanded across Canada and now operates stores in eleven cities throughout the nation, with plans for further expansion. It is generally comparable to the US chain R.E.I.

1 Organization
2 Growth
3 List of Stores by Location
4 Image Gallery
5 See also
6 External links & references

[edit] Organization

Members can shop at any of eleven retail stores, on-line, or by mail order from their catalogue. MEC also operates a "Corporate & Group Sales" Store for large orders at discounted prices. Among MEC's best "corporate" members are the military, the RCMP, the parks branch and various search and rescue organizations. The stores are notable for their environmentally-conscious "green" design; recycled timber, natural lighting, green roofs, and sustainable energy sources are often used. The interiors are open to take advantage of natural light, and often feature climbing walls and full product demonstrations. MEC is currently building North America's first "Green" Distribution Centre in Surrey, British Columbia.

MEC distinguishes itself from other outdoor retailers through its product line, among other things (notably its ethical commitments and co-operative structure). While it does carry gear made by many well-known companies, it designs and makes a significant proportion of its inventory in-house, sold under the MEC brand. Most of that brand is manufactured in Canada although MEC is finding it harder and harder to find suitable factories in Canada. This allows the co-op to strictly control quality and price, frequently resulting in gear that many members find to be of superior quality for a competitive price. MEC gear also has a reputation for durability. The Co-op also differentiates itself by selling gear directed only towards "self-propelled wilderness-oriented recreation," thereby streamlining its focus and eliminating the need to carry equipment aimed towards other outdoor pursuits.

Its head office, phone/service centre and distribution centre are located in Vancouver. Members are encouraged to annually run and vote for their Board of Directors.

[edit] Growth

MEC's growth has been slow and methodical over the last 30 years. Only in the last 7 years under CEO Peter Robinson has the chain targeted one new store opening per year. With a 2007 sales target of almost a quarter of a billion dollars, MEC continues to look for new ways to fulfill its mission statement of "getting people outdoors". Among Mr. Robinson's significant contributions has been to add experienced and innovative personnel to the senior management team with a vision to improve service, quality, sustainability and update their stores and website to remain competitive in an ever changing market.

After 9/11, MEC sales stagnated and forced the management into a new more focused strategy followed by a company wide restructuring. By early 2004 MEC culture, sales and internal financial health was once again thriving, posting surpluses in excess of 5% of sales. As for expansion plans, MEC plans to open four large new stores located in Toronto and Montreal in the next few years. London and Kelowna are also strong candidates for MEC stores in the future.

MEC's long-term challenge is to remain relevant to a quickly changing demographic that prefers urban outdoor experiences to those that MEC traditionally caters to.