Mountain Equipment Co-op to replace old Kelowna Future Shop

KELOWNA – After sitting empty for more than three months, plans were unveiled Wednesday morning for the old Future Shop site in Kelowna.

The popular Canadian-owned co-operative Mountain Equipment Co-op (MEC) will take over the 20,000 square-foot space at the Orchard Plaza Shopping Centre and  open up shop in the spring of 2016.

“Members have been asking for a store in the Okanagan for years and we’re stoked to soon deliver on that call,” says Mountain Equipment Co-op CFO Sandy Treagus.

The Kelowna location will  bring the number of MEC stores in  Canada to 19 and will be the sixth location in B.C.

MEC offers a all kinds of outdoor gear from camping to snow sports to cycling to hiking to yoga to climbing.

“As many of our staff can attest, the Okanagan offers almost limitless opportunities to be active outdoors,” says Mountain Equipment Co-op CEO David Labistour. “We’re thrilled at the prospect of being able to serve existing and new MEC members from a landmark commercial location in the heart of Kelowna.”

Even though there is currently no MEC store in the Okanagan, there are 40,000 members in the region from Kamloops to Osoyoos.  A lifetime membership to the store costs only $5.

MEC will take over the former Future Shop site in December with an expected opening later in 2016.

A spokesperson with the company says about 75 in-store jobs will be created.