It is the biggest ever outdoor store in Europe – and it attracted one of the biggest queues in York’s history!
Go Outdoors York launched its store at Vangarde today to an amazing reception.
The queue snaked all the way around the car park as huge numbers turned up for the official opening party.
Video: The Go Outdoors queue
Town crier Ben Fry declared the store officially open shortly before 9am.
Then TV star Helen Skelton welcomed all the shoppers, dishing out smiles and goodie bags in equal measure.
“I am a big fan of York. I’m a big fan of Go Outdoors. And so these two things come together wonderfully,” Helen told YorkMix.
“It’s really hard to not be excited about this store. If you’re outdoorsy, if you like nature, if you like adventures, if you like exploring, everything you need is in there.
“And that sounds like a big old fat advert, but I defy you to go in there and not have a good time!”
She was amazed at the size of the queue. “It’s amazing how far people have travelled. I’ve just spoken to a guy who’s travelled from Devon.
“And if this is going to bring anybody extra to York, to spend a bit of money in York and get to know this fabulous city and all of its quirks, and use those independent hotels and shops and coffee shops, then great.”
Video: Helen Skelton
The store opened its doors on 23 August but the official opening weekend is adding some pizzazz to retailing.
It features demonstrations from brands such as Weber and Campingaz and the opportunity to meet with brand experts from Garmin, Adidas Terrex, Hunter, Montane, The North Face, and Thule.
Face painters, balloon modellers and DJs will be showcasing their talents, as well as prizes and free goodie bags being given away to the first 500 groups of people entering the store on today (Saturday).
Deb O’Donnell, centre manager at Vangarde Shopping Centre, said: “The new Go Outdoors store is a welcome addition to the Vangarde shopping centre.
“Not only does it provide a dedicated space for our outdoor-loving customers, but also provides a community hub where customers can relax, meet and enjoy their shopping time.
“We are excited to open the doors to Europe’s biggest outdoor retail store and welcome our new customers to the Go Outdoors York store.”
The record breaking store boasts 125,000 sq ft of space with over 380 brands, covering walking, camping & caravanning, watersports, running, fishing, horse riding, climbing.
It hosts more than 30 branded concession areas including the biggest Yeti store in Europe as well as a new Garmin store with the most extensive range on display in the UK.
Go York store manager Nik Hodges 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.”