The North Face Shuts Down Last Berkeley Store, Ending Decades-Long Run

The North Face has closed its final retail location in Berkeley, California, ending a retail presence in the city that spanned decades. The Fifth Street outlet permanently shut its doors on July 12, concluding the outdoor retailer's long-standing connection to the city where it grew from a small brand into a global enterprise. The storefront has been visibly marked by its closure, with its iconic Half Dome logo covered and the doors painted black.

The company's roots in Berkeley began in 1968 when Kenneth “Hap” Klopp purchased the business, which had originally been founded as a retail shop in San Francisco in 1966. Klopp established the company's headquarters and factory on Fifth Street, opening a factory outlet there in 1975. The North Face later expanded to a larger manufacturing plant on Gilman Street before the factory itself closed in 1993. The company's headquarters remained in Berkeley until 1995, when they relocated to San Leandro.

VF Corporation acquired The North Face in 2000 for $25.4 million and subsequently moved the brand's headquarters to Denver in 2019. Former employees recall the Berkeley outlet as a place where customers could find discounted items with minor flaws, often referred to as "seconds." The store also previously functioned as a repair center for gear under The North Face's lifetime warranty before this service was eliminated under later ownership.

Despite the closure of its last Berkeley store, The North Face maintains a significant retail presence in the San Francisco Bay Area and operates hundreds of stores globally. The company's financial performance remains robust, with VF Corporation's recent challenges primarily attributed to its sister brand, Vans, rather than The North Face.

In recent years, the Berkeley outlet, like other retailers in the area such as REI, had become a target for organized retail theft. Multiple incidents involving crews stealing tens of thousands of dollars worth of merchandise were reported. Another outdoor retailer, Cotopaxi, also closed after a robbery in January.