New Burton Retail Store Opens in NYC

[SnoChica]

09/19/2005


Burlington, Vermont– Burton brings the soul of snowboarding to the heart of the city with the opening of its first standalone retail store in Manhattan. Located in SoHo at the corner of Spring and Mercer Streets, the 4,600 square foot space will showcase the full breadth of products from Burton’s family of brands, including Burton Snowboards, R.E.D., ANON Optics, Gravis and Analog as well as Mark XIII and the new Burton Life apparel line.

“We’re excited to expand our presence in New York, which is an important market for us as well as a hub for fashion, shopping, design and music,” says Burton’s President, Laurent Potdevin. “While we continue our commitment to the specialty dealers in the New York area that carry the Burton line, we see the new store as a great opportunity to build awareness of the Burton brand and share the lifestyle of our sport with new audiences.”

Even though it’s surrounded by skyscrapers, Burton’s New York store is the next best thing to being on the mountain. Designed by New York-based architects D. Berke and Partners, the store resembles a modern lodge with high ceilings and expansive windows along two sides. Glass vaults display gear and memorabilia from Burton Team riders, as well as from celebrities and musicians that snowboard. A cutting-edge “cold room” allows shoppers to check out how the gear holds up against real winter conditions. The store also features advanced projection technology with snowboarding action and lifestyle videos and one-of-a-kind snowboarding-inspired animation. Visitors can sit and enjoy the action in a “hang” area in front of the screen.



Burton Snowboards was born in Vermont, and its SoHo store stays true to that heritage. The floors of the store are real Vermont slate. The store’s window displays and interior vaults are designed by Vermont artist Scott Lenhart, who has contributed to many Burton board graphics. And the projection technology was created by Vermont company Stark Mountain.

The New York City store is Burton’s fourth flagship retail store – the company also has stores in Burlington, Vermont and Innsbruck, Austria, as well as a Gravis store in Tokyo.

[Fae]

You beat me to making this post. I'm going to go sometime this week to check it out.

[Satan]

here goes the whole snowboard industry. next thing you'll see is a Burton store on every corner. "the next Starbucks"? i hope the rest of the industry doesn't go in this direction. then all the core shops will close down and i'll be out of a job. and besides who wants to go to about 30 different brand stores to shop for a set up? i'll give it to them, it is a great way to sell their product and get it to the general public. but snowboarders aren't the general public. we know what's out there and we know what we want.

[e.]

here goes the whole snowboard industry. next thing you'll see is a Burton store on every corner. "the next Starbucks"? i hope the rest of the industry doesn't go in this direction. then all the core shops will close down and i'll be out of a job. and besides who wants to go to about 30 different brand stores to shop for a set up? i'll give it to them, it is a great way to sell their product and get it to the general public. but snowboarders aren't the general public. we know what's out there and we know what we want.

i agree, but i would still like to go.

[Fae]

Lots of different brands have flagship stores in New York (Levis, Quicksilver, Nike, Diesel,Puma, the list goes on and on) but that doesn't mean those brands stop being sold in general stores as well. Flagship stores just generally have a huge selection of said brand. So if you can't find the color pants you want at the board shop in your neighborhood, chances are the flagship store will have them. I don't think this spells the death of core stores in the least, it's just a different way of shopping.

[thedude]

"the next Starbucks"?

starbucks is gross. here is a better name for them FourBucks, because you never get a good cup of regular coffee unless you drop $4 for soemthign that has all this added flavor **** to it. or call it StarSchmucks, because only schucks buy coffee from that place. i liek my little coffee shops run by mom and pop down the street and a few college students, not some high school kid who wanst to know if i want a Ventti (there name for a large or something?) wiht rasberry flavorign and steamed milk.

as for the burton store, i'll let that slid. i don't knwo about a store carrying all of one brand or stuff made specifically for that company because then it just looses variety, so i think i'll stick to shops close to me.

[Forum_4ever]

I wonder if they'll carry Forum since they are now owned by Burton. That would be sweet.

[thedude]

hmm... good question...

[SimonInAustralia]

and besides who wants to go to about 30 different brand stores to shop for a set up?

It's the only store I need for my whole setup, except for some Oakley goggles.

I'm an unashamed, self-confessed Burton junkie. You can hate Burton, I like Burton, you can hate me for liking em, I don't care.

[Forum_4ever]

It's ok your from the land down under :) are you still riding down there?

[SimonInAustralia]

Yep, still a couple of weeks left in the season. More snow here than in New Zealand, where most of the smaller fields without snowmaking have closed due to lack of snow. We had a 20 cm top up over the weekend, nice to get some spring freshies in.

[NEFFsteeze]

I was already at the new store and its sick. Ive been to the one in burlington before in early august too but the NYC one is deffinatly better. I used their cold room to test out some analog outerwear and it held up good.

[SimonInAustralia]

Do they carry the full range?

Any previous years gear?

[Forum_4ever]

They have a cold room?

[NEFFsteeze]

Yes they have every thing that Burton makes from Burton,Gravis,RED,Anon,and Analog. They carry everything that is made by all the companies that burton makes.

And yes they have a cold room where you set the temperature and then you go in. You first set the temp and then put on a jacket or pant then make sure its the right temp then go in.

Oh yeah and no they don't carry anything that was formerly the four star distribution(Forum,Jeenyus,Special Blend, Foursquare). Burton has no association with then accept for providing the money for their company.

[Outlaw Boards]

here goes the whole snowboard industry. next thing you'll see is a Burton store on every corner. "the next Starbucks"? i hope the rest of the industry doesn't go in this direction. then all the core shops will close down and i'll be out of a job. and besides who wants to go to about 30 different brand stores to shop for a set up? i'll give it to them, it is a great way to sell their product and get it to the general public. but snowboarders aren't the general public. we know what's out there and we know what we want.

They'll get the "Oh I always wanted to try that" first timer. But not allot more, i don't think and rent has got be unreal. 4,600 sq. ft. in Manhattan??!??! I guess there are allot of rich gaypers that live in NYC that ride in VT though.

[Outlaw Boards]

Oh yeah and no they don't carry anything that was formerly the four star distribution(Forum,Jeenyus,Special Blend, Foursquare). Burton has no association with then accept for providing the money for their company.

Don't you mean "making money from their companies?"

[NEFFsteeze]

well yeah cuz Burton supplies them with money and in return making more money off them from board sales since burton bought all four companies out of bankrupcy. So yeah they are making money off them.

The way i see it is that Burton is keeping two more board companies alive in the industry. Just because Burton is the boss of them doens't change anything about the brand except where they get the money. If the people at Burton were a bunch of people who were only worried about their products then they wouldn't of bought Forum, Jeeenyus, Special Blend, and Fourquare from fourstar dist. they would of let them go bankrupt.

[Forum_4ever]

Back in the late 99s early 00's Fourstar companies had alot more steeze than burton. Thats wut pretty much what all my gear is expect with 686 and DC aslo.

[Forum_4ever]

686s line of outwear has gone downhill quite a bit this year though

[NEFFsteeze]

686s line of outwear has gone downhill quite a bit this year though


I deffinatly agree with you there. Before this year all i used to have was 686 but this years line isn't that good and it looks too much like last years stuff so i decided to get some Analog outwerwear.

[thedude]

i hear analog's jackets and pants are supposed to look crazy this year

[Satan]

analog gear always looks crazy. that's the whole idea behind it

[e.]

i generally like most of the analog shizzle, but i just wish they had better quality waterproofing and breathablity

[NEFFsteeze]

Yeah ive already seen all the new analog stuff and yeah it is pretty sweet. Check out the color pattern on a couple jackets called ice camo its soo hot.

[thedude]

whenever i see tem, it's always liek a flat color, but even still, they look awsome. but once again, i'm function before fashion

[SimonInAustralia]

i generally like most of the analog shizzle, but i just wish they had better quality waterproofing and breathablity

It's all pretty glam, more fashion than function I think, too baggy and too many pockets and bits hanging off of it for my liking.

[thedude]

to true. that and then kids wear thsoe damn leg bags on them too.

[Fae]

Oh good, let's talk about leg bags again. That will be fun! :)

(But you know, I still have yet to see anyone wearing those things.)

[thedude]

abort! ignor what i said about leg bags!!!

[djstealth]

when is the "grand opening"???

[Fae]

It was 9/16. I still haven't gotten over there.

[Fae]

Okay, so I went to check out the Burton store today. Here are my reactions:

- It's not as big as it sounds
- It's way too sterile
- The Cold Room is really cool (the sales guy I was talking to shoved me in there. It was definitely cold)
- They had the pair of pants that I like in EVERY COLOR except the one I wanted
- The floor is cool, because they randomly have vintage snowboards in recesses and covered in glass, so you get to walk over stuff from the 80s.
- The pegs in the dressing room are the Burton logo. I found that very amusing.

All in all, I wish it had been a little more Vermont and a little less New York. I also wish I hadn't had to listen to a 13-year-old girl whine to her mother how her pants didn't match her current jacket/board/bindings and how she would definitely need a new pair. Worth checking out if you're in the city, but not otherwise. Oh, and being able to check out the Escapade binding close up made me decide I'm definitely going with the Ride DVa.

[SnoChica]

The Ride DVa is identicle to the SPi. Good bindings.... So we'll have really similar setups. What boots do you have?

[Fae]

I think I'm getting the Northwave Devine, but more companies need to get their gear out, because right now, all the stores have is Burton stuff, and their boots are too wide for me. I was thinking of getting the Sables before I realized that though....ew then it would have been REALLY bad if we went riding together.

[SnoChica]

Yeah.... if we both had Sables, we'd definitely not be allowed near each other. (I guess this means we just both have great taste)

[Outlaw Boards]

I think I'm getting the Northwave Devine, but more companies need to get their gear out, because right now, all the stores have is Burton stuff, and their boots are too wide for me. I was thinking of getting the Sables before I realized that though....ew then it would have been REALLY bad if we went riding together.

We just got the Devine's in look really comfy.

[exploit55]

i went to the one in vermont it was pretty sweet

[Y8S]

It's the only store I need for my whole setup, except for some Oakley goggles.

I'm an unashamed, self-confessed Burton junkie. You can hate Burton, I like Burton, you can hate me for liking em, I don't care.I'm with you Simon, Burton makes great stuff. So does everyone else. Totally sick of seeing this conversation on this site. But anyway. I was in on the planning of these Burton stores when I worked at Burton. The NYC store was set in store over a year ago. You can expect a new flagship in LA and Tokyo and that will do it. So don't get your panties in a bunch Satan. Oh yeah, and if you do truly work in a shop then you know that only the core snowboarders know what they want. 90% of the customers have no clue.

[Y8S]

Don't bother going to snochicka's myspace page. She won't talk to you there.

[SimonInAustralia]

It's always the Burton haters gettin' all upset and putting **** on Burton, not the Burton lovers putting **** on any other brand. I know there is lots of other good gear out there, I choose to buy Burton, that is my choice. People can ride whatever they want, get over it!

[Y8S]

Exactly. John Howard rules! Kidding.

[SimonInAustralia]

John Howard rules! Kidding.

John Howard sucks up to George Bush way to much...he does not rule in so many ways!!!

[Y8S]

John Howard sucks up to George Bush way to much...he does not rule in so many ways!!!I lived in Australia when Clinton was in office. I remember seeing a thing on the news down there showing Clinton getting into an elevator in Canberra and the door shutting before Howard could get in. He looked so stupid. But so funny.

[live 2 ride]

thats so awesome. im so excited to check it out. is it open yet? when does it open?

[theRide]

It's the only store I need for my whole setup, except for some Oakley goggles.

I'm an unashamed, self-confessed Burton junkie. You can hate Burton, I like Burton, you can hate me for liking em, I don't care.

yeeeaaaaa boy

[Corkscrewed]

Actually this store has been there for awhile. i went last year before the season started, cuz i have a friend that lives in SoHo. it's a pretty cool set up. they have a HUGE screen on the wall , and play snowboarding flix ALL day! they also have a clear floor, that shows the evolution of Burton snowboards. they have all of the oldschool boards (i thought that was cool, cuz they had the board i used to ride in jr. high! the coolest feature however is the cold room. they have a big walk-in freezer with couches and chairs made out of ice. you can try on any of the gear you want, go in the cold room, sit around and see how warm the clothing is or isn't. if you live in NY or are just visiting, i definately recommend going there. plus if you buy something, they put your stuff in one of those cool drawstring backpacks that says Burton on it!

[tooch]

Actually this store has been there for awhile.

ya, well the thread was started in 9/05!

[Naked Hiker]

hahahahahaha......

[Corkscrewed]

^ LOL that's what i get for not paying attention!

[ADRsk8boarder]

just another step in commercializing snowboarding by burton

[Fae]

I don't get that mentality. I mean, when you think about it, the whole point of a company is for them to sell their ****...so why does it matter that they have their own store? Tons of companies have flagship stores in NYC.....Burton, Quicksilver, Billabong, Vans, Element...The DC is right across the street from Burton. And honestly, each one of these stores is pretty cool. It's neat to see what a company will do with an entire store dedicated to them...it's just an extension of their whole company, much like having their catalog or website in the real world.

[ADRsk8boarder]

yea quiksilver and billabong and vans are all over and it just pisses me off cause i hate posers that were that stuff .... but hey wut are u gonna do

[IceCoastChick]

Who cares? At the end of the day, it's just clothing and accessories. It's not going to affect your life in any negative way when other people wear it, is it?

[ADRsk8boarder]

but its supporting the man the large corporations, but w/e thats wut were offered

[SnoChica]

If this thread turns into another "Damn the man and other large corporations (i.e. Burton) thread... I swear I am going to throw up.

[FearMe]

*Hands barf bag*

[Fae]

If this thread turns into another "Damn the man and other large corporations (i.e. Burton" thread... I swear I am going to throw up.

You know what would be the best cure for that? COming up to NYC to shop at all the corporate whore shops. ;) C'mon, it'll be fun!

[ADRsk8boarder]

haha corportate whores haha