Surf-and-skate retailer Zumiez to open on Granville Street

A vacant retail unit on Granville Street near Robson Street will be occupied by Washington State-based Zumiez starting this spring.

The surf-and-skate retailer has taken over the lease to the 4,800-square-foot, two-storey property at 820 Granville Street, which is wedged by the recently opened Indigospirit bookstore to the north and Urban Outfitters to the south.

The retail space was vacated by Quicksilver approximately three years ago and has been sitting vacant ever since. Earlier this month, the Quicksilver sign that remained on the store entrance was removed and replaced with a Zumiez sign.

Offering gear and apparel for skaters, snowboarders, and surfers, Zumiez has over 500 locations worldwide, including five in Metro Vancouver at Coquitlam Centre, Guildford Town Centre, Metropolis at Metrotown, Park Royal, and Willowbrook Mall.

Zumiez’s decision to fill Quiksilver’s former space erodes a small portion of the vacancies found on the 800 block of Granville, particularly just across the street. The city block has been in a state of flux since the fall of 2012 when Empire Granville 7 cinemas shut down, leaving half of the city block – three buildings with a combined floor area of 40,000 square feet – empty of any activity.

But with the recent opening of Nordstrom nearby, there is speculation that the redevelopment of the cinemas buildings will be accelerated.

Indigo is said to be interested in the property after its flagship three-storey, 52,000-square-foot Chapters store at the intersection of Robson Street and Howe Street was forced to close last year. The company says it is actively looking for a large new space, approximately 30,000 square feet, in the area to serve the downtown Vancouver market.

The Indigospirit bookstore that opened in a 5,000-square-foot retail space previously occupied by Aldo is meant to be a temporary location until a new downtown flagship store opens.