Located at Vangarde Shopping Park, York, John lewis had been empty since the 2021 Covid 19 lockdown.
But now, 3 years later, Go Outdoors has arrived with the largest Outdoors Store in Europe to take its place, ready to show off all its improvements since its housing at Foss Bank.
Join me on Opening Weekend to discover everything Go Outdoors Vanguard York has to offer.
Grand Opening Weekend Event
Displayed outside the shop were multiple stalls with small activities to try out for free, such as
- a large climbing wall
- a spin-the-wheel game provided by York Mix Radio where you can win free prizes
- a drawing stall
- and a Weber’s stall with taste testers
My favourite touch was the live DJ inside playing music and announcing activities throughout the day.
There were also plenty of activities inside, such as an arcade-style dance machine and a pair of shoes in a locked box for a guess-the-code game and much more.
The Grand Opening is on 7th & 8th September running through normal opening hours, don’t miss out!
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@discovering.york We visited Go Outdoors Grand Opening Weekend in York Vangarde, Monks Cross and OMG! You should see the size of this place 😱 With kids activites, food and free giveaways. You dont want to miss out. #gooutdoors #york #yorkshire #activities #grandopening #new #newshop #newshopopening #uk #placestovisit #fyp #fypage #trending #monkscross #gooutdoorsyork #shopping ♬ What You Know – Two Door Cinema Club
My First Impression Of GO Outdoors York
At the entrance of the shop, the first thing I noticed was a yellow, silver, and white balloon arch above the door, as well as a large number of people flooding into the building.
To say the interior was large would be an understatement, when I stepped inside, I was overwhelmed by the mass of the shop and all the different options there were to explore.
However, I was instantly calmed when a kind staff member welcomed me kindly and helped me navigate my way round.
My Experience At Go Outdoors New Store York
One of my favorite things about my visit was the interactive activities all around the shop, such as a horse riding simulator, where they had a life-size fake horse, on which they would place you with a helmet in front of a screen to give you a realistic horse riding experience. They also featured a 3d foot scanner to find the perfect shoe size for you.
Go Outdoors had seemed to be keeping up with latest trends as they also had a large selection of Stanley cups in multiple different sizes, and colors, as well as their ice-cold water fountain.
But to go along with this, there seemed to be competitors like YETI, which despite having a larger range of items, spanning around 5 aisles as well as a small stall displaying their products, they lacked popularity compared to the Stanley cups which seemed to have a large crowd.
I only had a few interactions with staff but every one of them was so friendly and joyful. One interaction was when i was trying on a cloudrock boot from ON, a kind staff member approached me, asking if I had tried their 3d scanner as I was unsure which size to get, and after replying no, I was led there to try it out.
This was amazingly helpful and the machine saved me alot of time trying to guess my size.
What Brands Do Go Outdoors Stock?
It was clear to see that there were many different brands advertised around the shop, for example, there was a large selection of running equipment to look through, with brands such as Nike, On Running, Adidas, kudos, etc.
Cycling gear containing rab, Compass, JAMIS, and Calibre. Climbing equipment like Petzl, Black Diamond Scarpa, Boreal, and many more.
There’s too many brands to name but each categories of activity’s have a wide selection of brands. I recommend checking their website to see if they stock the brand your looking for.
What Is A Go Outdoors Membership Card?
You can also acquire yourself a Go Outdoors membership card for only £5 and get updates on new arrivals, exclusive offers, discounts and they even agree to price match different items when you find them, which I think is a great deal.
Whilst walking around I noticed on most items they had 2 price tags normal and members price. Every item on the membership deal had a significant discount and for only £5 a year this card seems more than worth it.
Things You Need To Know Before Visiting
Here’s is a few things that i noticed while walking around that many should know before visiting.
- The building is disable friendly with an elevator at the back of the store to the second floor.
- The Store is Dog Friendly, with dog treats at the entrance of the store.
- Go Outdoors have toilet facilities inside
- Cafe and refreshment area available
- Free Parking but make sure to register your registration on match days
Info and Map
- 📍 Address: Vangarde Shopping Park, Vangarde Way, Huntington, York, YO32 9AE
- 📞 Contact: 01904236979
- 🕘 Opening Times: mon-fri 9am -8pm, sat 9am-6pm, sun 10:30-4:30
- 📱 Socials: Instagram, Tiktok
- 🔗 Official website: here
Final thoughts
Go Outdoors is truly the biggest shop in Europe with a large variety of different activities and brands to choose from with friendly staff and interactive stations to keep you immersed.
The items are high quality and the layout is easy to navigate and not overly crowded. I plan on returning again to see if they update their stock and try out the cafe’s treats.
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