Radical Edge Thrives in Face of Pandemic
The Radical Edge is among the longest-standing stores in Fredericton New-Brunswick. This will mark its 30th year since opening in the nineties as a local surf shop. Originally, the owner, Mike Davis, did not set out for it to be an adventure shop but as customers were mostly buying outdoor accessories which were intended for surfers, but usable as general outdoor apparel, he decided to shift focus towards a shop entirely devoted to selling “outdoor adventure gear”.
The front of the store has been around since it opened 30 years ago, and it houses the majority of the clothes sold. Further into the store you can find things to bring along with you on camping trips, long hikes, canoe expeditions, and even mountaineering. They have thermal sleeping bags, hiking boots, waterproof underwear, fire starters, and much more.
Farther back in the store is its new section. They were able to expand when the building next to theirs (formerly known as the Owl’s nest book store) went out of business.
“It’s really nice to have the extra space,” said retail employee Robyn Davis. “We’re not all on top of each other, which it definitely used to be [like] in the past.”
Although their new floor space proved to be an attractive feature to the store, the real boom in sales happened when Covid-19 struck two years ago. As opposed to many privately-owned local businesses which folded under the economic pressure generated by the pandemic, the Radical Edge enjoyed a new wave of customers as outdoor activities were among the few things people could seek to do while social distancing.
“Realistically, social distance was really hard and the best thing you could do was be outside. Kind of just what the doctor ordered,” said store manager Kaylee Hopkins.
People who had never thought about perusing outdoor activities came flooding in throughout the pandemic, seeking the Radical Edge’s inventory, but also advice from the trained staff.
“A huge sales point for us was that we not only had the gear but we had the knowledge. So many of those people had no idea what to buy so they came to us for advice and help,” said Hopkins.
A sales point of the Radical Edge has always been its employees’ expertise in their field, but it had never been on display like it was over the pandemic.
Additionally, Hopkins attributes their success to the fact that they have “cornered the market”. No other store in Fredericton sells their equipment and this is no stroke of luck. They have deals with the top brands in every sector of outdoor leisure, thus creating a one-stop-shop atmosphere which no other place has been able to replicate.
“You can come in here having never hiked, and we’ll be able to sell you an outfit, suitable shoes, and a backpack all while educating you on it,” said Hopkins. “Nowhere else can do that now, and they never have.”