HELLY HANSEN TO OPEN STORE AT RIVER PARK SQUARE
 Sport and Adventure retailer to enter Spokane market 
 

A well-known brand of high performance outdoor apparel -- Helly Hansen – will open the first and only licensed store in the Inland Northwest next month at River Park Square.

The 1,600-square-foot store will feature Helly Hansen’s complete line of outerwear, base layers, fleece, down jackets, and accessories for mountain and water sports, adventure and casual lifestyles.  It will be located on the center’s second-level, near the top of the escalators, when it opens in mid-July.  

“Helly Hansen is a leading global retailer with a dynamic niche and an active customer,” said Bob Smith, manager of River Park Square.  “As the first and only one in this entire marketplace, it perfectly complements the mix of unique, one-of-a-kind specialty retailers, restaurants and entertainment venues already here.”   

Katherine De Stephano has the licensee rights for the Spokane area and is opening the store with business partner Katie Davis.  The group, who also own a Montana store, decided to open a retail store in Spokane based on the abundance of sports and recreation enthusiasts who live in the area.  De Stephano also operates Helly Hansen stores in western Washington and Oregon.

“Spokane’s climate and access to dozens of outdoor pursuits makes it a great fit for Helly Hansen,” said De Stephano.  “We chose River Park Square because of its strong retail mix, the robust downtown and proximity to nearby colleges and universities.”

De Stephano added that Helly Hansen is currently seeking job applications for store manager positions.  Applications are available at the River Park Square concierge desk or by calling 1-877-HELLY-MT.   

Originally founded in 1877, Helly Hansen features premium ski and snowboard jackets and pants, mountaineering apparel, base layers, soft shell jackets for light and fast adventures, and casual lifestyle apparel and accessories.  In addition to Helly Hansen, the latest gear used for sports and adventure from Dakine and Nalgene will be sold, along with Dale of Norway sweaters.