The North Face shuts its historic Berkeley outlet, ending decades-long local presence
The North Face’s longtime Fifth Street store in Berkeley closed permanently on July 12, ending the brand’s retail footprint in the city.
On July 12, The North Face permanently closed its Fifth Street location in Berkeley, removing the last physical store the company owned in the city where it set up its headquarters in the late 1960s. The storefront was boarded up, with the iconic Half Dome logo covered and doors painted black. The shop, opened as a factory outlet in 1975, had also functioned as a repair hub for gear under the brand’s lifetime warranty before corporate changes ended that service.
Recent years saw the outlet targeted by organized retail theft, mirroring similar incidents at nearby outdoor retailers such as REI and Cotopaxi. Despite the Berkeley closure, The North Face maintains other Bay Area locations and is expanding worldwide under VF Corporation, which acquired the brand in 2000. The shutdown reflects local market challenges rather than the company’s overall financial health. Former employee Ian Appleyard recalled customers hunting for discounted “seconds” with minor flaws, a hallmark of the store’s appeal.
Why it matters
The closure marks the end of a landmark retail site that helped launch The North Face and reflects rising theft pressures on local stores.
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