MEC Edmonton

Update: Still great service and products. Outstanding help with updating my wife's cross country ski gear.
My favorite store in Edmonton. I love to hike, cycle and ski and this is the place to go. New store looks great.

Great place with diferente budget options for the outdoorsy life. Doesn't matter what your outdoor activities are, there is always something for you.

Rock solid guarentee isn't really a thing here anymore, mec used to back there products but I have a jacket riddled with holes in it around a design flaw and they told us that I can fix it with tape. Jacket is only a year old.

The most amazing, well-stocked outdoor activity store in Edmonton, and the new location is fabulous!

2021
Placed online order with MEC and received wrong merchandise. It's not accepting returns, even by mail, so I'm stuck with shoes I can't wear and am out hundreds of dollars for this item and more incorrect stuff sent to me. Other businesses have adapted and will successfully survive the pandemic. MEC's only answer to my dilemma is to place another order with MEC! But I'm not delirious yet. I will be spending money with retailers who offer better customer service in our current climate.

2022 Update
Took a chance on MEC and placed an order for an item in stock at this store. Item apparently not in stock. Days pass. No word on when it will be shipped or when it will arrive. Online chat: no response. Toll free phone: no response. All I want to do is cancel and walk away. Compared to Altitude Sports or Valhalla Pure Outfitters, MEC doesn't belong in the same sentence. Disgusting!

Clean interior with super helpful staff members! This store has two stories with the upstairs focused on clothing and shoes.

Let's start with the Pros: excellent service in the shoe department. I was looking for a very particular kind of shoes, box shapped, which is what is recommended for your feet now rather than traditional shaped runners. The young man that helped me on the first visit was really helpful. I wish I remembered your name so you get the recognition you deserve for helping me.
I did have to go back 2 days later. The material on the shoe stretched so much my feet were floating in them.
Again, great service from staff when I had to go get the runners exchanged. With one exception.
I don't like to write scathing 'experiences' but sometimes you have to because if the same experience happens to another woman.
When I went back to exchange my shoes, I went to the shoe department. A young man approached me and asked if he could help. I told him what I needed and he proceeded to tell me I was in the men's section. I said yes, because men's shoes are wider than women's. He looked at me with a smile on his face, a childish smile, like he was laughing at me.
We as women experience a lot of things, this was no exception, it's just a shame such a young man was not taught to properly provide service to women and in a respectful manner. Which he didn't.
I have PTSD. Getting me into a store, much less a specialty store, is impossible because I get high anxiety around people. I needed new shoes and was recommended by a friend to go to your store. To be treated like that by a man is hard enough under normal conditions, but having PTSD its hard to shake off an interaction like that. So it has taken me a bit to gain the courage to write this because it did affect me. Women put up with a lot of criticism in society. The last thing I expected was to be mocked for buying a pair of comfortable shoes in the men'ssection, so I can walk, and try to beat my illness. But experiences like that is why I stay away from stores and people. There's always that 1 that just messes it up.
We all walk in shoes no one wants to fill, but please teach that young man that he has to be less critical of women asking for his help, especially older women.
Older women need shoe's too and as we get older, when we stop wearing heels, we want to wear comfortable shoes, and the women's section doesn't provide that for a lot of us so we go to the men's section.
The young man is very unique. So if you contact me I can tell you who it was. If the other young men provided such good service, what happened to this one?

Purchased some dehydrated food and energy gels. MEC doesn’t have a visible return policy, nor did it state so on our receipt, but we were told they won’t refund the food. All were unopened and don’t expire till 2025. When we went in store to inquire why, we were told “no other food stores accept food back as a return” which is 1000% not true. Further, stating that your online return policy states no food is NOT the same when the in person experience doesn’t state so. Thanks for pushing the blame off of yourselves, Teegan, your inability to make the moment right given MECs shortcomings was enough but to give such a terrible excuse is just next level.

I love this store (and MEC in general). Unfortunately, I’m finding it more and more difficult to get assistance when in-store. I needed help with backpacks yesterday, and it took a long while to find someone. Also, I was recently in the store looking to buy a bike rack and panniers, and have them installed. I had to go to a different bike shop to purchase because there was no one around to assist me. It’s unfortunate.

Every time I come in is the same. The shelves are a mess, half the items are missing price info, stock is extremely limited, majority of the staff is behind the cash chilling. MEC needs to carry basics. There are No tarps beyond the blue special. No bivvy bags. Just school bags and plush camping items. Please expand your inventory, MEC is a chain Not some private brick and mortar, please do better! I have been buying from MEC for over 10 years, it has significantly decreased in sales and service lately

Been a member over 20 years. Great store. Inexpensive. Happy it's open again. Friendly staff as well. 5 bucks for a lifetime membership. The only change is the location. Other than that it's still great!

I'll start by saying I love mec and mec products. Great quality for the price.
Unfortunately, I've had 3 negative experiences with their bike shop with a very expensive bike I purchased from this store. Mechanics do not know their products very well. If you require a basic tune up, I'm sure it's fine, but anything slightly complex you're better off going to an actual bike shop.

I've been to the bike shop here now a couple of times and they are always very friendly and knowledgeable. Evan helped me recently with my bike. I needed a new dropper cable and I had him look at my shifting issues as well.he fixed the problem and taught me that my bike has a clutch. I really appreciated the time he took to explain the small details to me.

Had some super friendly and pro service from Jennifer and Abbey, however every employee was friendly.

Yeah, check this MEC out.

Megan was helping me with getting my first pair of climbing shoes and was very knowledgeable and patient as I figured out my sizing with the different brands and what would be best for my money. The shoes I got fit great and I am excited to climb with them!

It's been a 2 year pandemic and I can't buy a MEC Christmas gift cert for someone else, via the internet.uhmmm.c'meow. The gift service isn't down. They literally have not grasped covid ecomm. Sad, folks. It's nearly 2022. This is not competitive.

I walked into MEC first time, recommended by my son for good quality shoes.
I was greeted at the door immediately and directed to shoes upstairs.
I picked up a demo shoe and there was a store rep right there to help.
Jeremy is well informed and very helpful.
I bought an excellent feeling HOKA Bondi 7
Probably one of the best running/driving/everyday shoes I've ever worn.
Cheers folks.

Great place to get ready for all weather activities! Plus clothing is pretty good with a good variety of clothing! All in all a great store!

Staff were attentive and helpful. (Even phoned corporate and their staff were just as helpful.)

Always a robust and quality selection of camping and outdoor equipment and merchandise. If you haven't tried the snacks, they are worth it!

I went this store for climbing shoes today. A gentleman who helped me was very friendly and knowledgeable. Thank you!

Went in to buy a gift for a friend. Lauren was super helpful and friendly. Would rate her professionalism 10 stars if I could. Solid employee. She recommended some stuff for me as well, so I’ll be back.

If you wondered why outdoor spaces lack diversity and inclusion, look no further. Some of the people at this location can be summed up as a passive aggressive exercise and display of polite prejudice with a dash of why you even here in the first place attitude - reminder: nature belongs to humanity, last I checked non-whites are also part of humanity. How about you be okay with us biking, camping, hiking and mountaineering.

I’ve Bought Clothes, A Tent, Sleeping Bag, Hammock, Trail Stove, Gregory Back Pack, Hiking Boots, Sandals & Some Camping Gear (Utensils & A Pot). As You Can See, I Trust This Place When It Comes To Outdoor Gear. Any Issues I’ve Had, Returning Anything Was Never A Problem. The Staff Have Always Been Helpful With Any Questions Or Trouble Finding Anything. I Recommend Checking This Place Out If Your Into Playing Outside In Whatever Shenanigans You Plan On Getting Up To While On Your Outdoor Adventure. From Me To You…Have A Great Day…

Been a member over 20 years. Great store. Inexpensive. Happy it's open again. Friendly staff as well. 5 bucks for a lifetime membership

Climbing specific review. Usually love mec but only about half the climbing equipment is labeled or have price tags. Staff working the area had little to no knowledge of equipment.

Was in the store for an hour, explored every department but was only acknowledged by staff once very briefly, I tried to catch the attention of a sales associate a few times but was completely ignored. Given their incredibly limited size range of clothing, it seems safe to assume I am not their desired customer. Sad that they have plastered their social media with pride symbols and manufactured a socially conscious image, but can't train their staff to treat all customers with respect. Using the efforts of marginalized communities to sell an image and products while actively disregarding other marginalized and intersecting communities is a pretty good indicator the rainbow is for show, and at the end of it in place of a pot of gold is Cabelas, where I was able to get what I needed without feeling the urge to cry in my car.

This particular MEC, for some unknown reason, has decided to phase out stock on winter items such as gloves, skis, and winter accessories to make room for summer items.in January.with months of Canadian winter left.while it’s -20. I honestly don’t know what to think about MEC anymore. Is it run by people who live in Florida? Makes no sense.

Experienced and knowledgeable staff and a big store that covers all your outdoor needs from hiking to snowboarding. It's where I buy all my gear.

In every MEC I have been to, the customer service is terrible. The workers are usually huddled together and talking amongst themselves. At this particular location, I can never find staff to help me look for something. There is a lot of cool things at MEC for most outdoor activities, although this place is usually overpriced and does not have much in stock. My last visit was to purchase a SUP life jacket, it turns out most of their products are online and not instore. Please note that MEC requires their co-op members to wear masks until 2022, as stated at the main entrance doors.

Went in looking for advice with backpacking and Royce stuck with us for an hour explaining different things and giving excellent suggestions for gear for the trip. Would come back just to talk to the homie Royce again.

Yesterday I brought in a pair of broken walking poles and they quickly exchanged them for me. The gentleman who helped me pick new walking poles was also super helpful and patient. Love this MEC! Thanks guys!

One stop shop for all you outdoor recreational needs. The staff is friendly and helpful. The store is well lit and clean. The ambiance is nice and it is open and airy. Good quality products but sometimes pricey. There are washroom facilities. I have shopped at the store for many years and have always enjoyed the experience. There is lots of parking.

Went to mec to find my son some winter boots, they had what I needed and more in stock. The staff were nice to talk with. I liked my experience at this store and will shop again in the future.

Very impressed with MEC- i have come many times from ads I have seen online from other outdoor brands and they have found themsame items for me in-store to see and try-on. My favourite part is that they price-match regardless of the product or brand, as long as you show them the price on the website/ad. They have helped me so many times and always been easy and hassle-free with price matching.five stars for that.highly recommend, especially if you don't love the uncertainty of online shopping or just like to shop in general for outdoor gifts.the service has been great.the employees are always smiling, warm, and happy to help.

Very disappointing that "in-store pick-up" items are shipped by Canada Post to the location and subject to the delays and such. No distribution channel to get your own product to your own store?

At that time I had called so many places in edmonton. I had collected parts number from different sales and services staff. I had not found the part I was seeking. In fact, I didn't even know if any of these part numbers were correct. None of the representatives at other places sounded confident about the information that they had give me. Then, after a lot of frustration dealing with the lack of knowledgeable staff at other stores and being placed on hold till I hung up; i would call MEC bike shop. I am happy to say that Kristy or Christy or Christie actually used a computer while I was on the phone to find the part I was looking for. She told me that it could be ordered and delivered within a few days. I cannot say enough about her efforts. I will be recommending MEC and Kristy or Christy Or Christie to every bike enthusiast that should need parts or accessories for their mountain bike rebuilds. Thank you.

Awesome Store for Outdoor Gear no matter what City your in. This is the Bigger of the two in Edmonton and has a Nice Easy Layout and a Good Feel about it. Staff were Friendly and Helpful. There is a Starbucks beside it, so for Me Win Win.

DO NOT USE THE BIKE SHOP! Terrible service. I paid $140 for an "advanced tune up" only to get the bike back with muddy tires and pedals. I was initially told they would clean the whole bike with the advanced tune up, but upon receiving it, they told me they "only clean the frame and drivetrain". Service guys were extremely condescending and didn't care about my concerns. Only wanted me to go up front to pay for the unfinished job they did without discussing it. One of The threads on my disc brake mount was also somehow stripped in the process of taking it apart and they told me I needed to take it to another bike shop to pay another 30 dollars to get it fixed. WILL NOT BE COMING HERE AGAIN.

MEC is sadly no longer the place for affordable quality outdoor gear. I am middle class and yet most products are unaffordable for me. Used to be a gem of a place!

Today, the two young men who were working in footwear stood next to each other facing the hiking boots and chatted for over ten minutes. I wasn't even noticed let alone acknowledged. If they weren't wearing the MEC uniform, you'd never have known they worked there.

Anyhow, I decided to leave without even having tried on new shoes. I made sure to tell someone at the customer service desk know how my experience went. If upper management cared to spend more time at the store (or have senior team members actively mentor staff) customer service might be noticeably better there. Second awful customer service experience at the downtown location in a year.

Poorly stocked. Simple items like shoe laces, tire tubes are often not available in sufficient quantities. Then there's the problem of two people working the entire top floor. I also feel like prices on everything have sky rocketed.

Attempted to exchange a tent that was damaged before I'd even used it. While they did ultimately complete the exchange, it wasn't before they'd implied I was lying or shouldn't have been bothered by the damage. But when you've spent $500 on a brand new backpacking tent, you expect it to be in new condition at first use. I like MEC but I'll be avoiding this location from now on.

I've bought a lot of things from MEC over the years and have never been let down. I do read reviews online so that weeds out lesser quality items. Most recently, I lost a bolt from my pannier rack that was purchased elsewhere and they replaced it for me free of charge. I'm planning on purchasing a commuter bike here based on my overall positive experiences regarding customer service and price.

Really cool set up, good selection - not cheap, but generally good quality including the store brand stuff. You do have to buy a membership to MEC

Excellent shopping, excellent comfortable cold weather and outdoor sports gear, pretty good staff, beautiful store design.

Still don't like the new logo, but everyone is friendly, there is good gear, and the return policy is still legit.

Went shopping in November for cross country skis. The fellow who helped me was very knowledgeable and took the time to help me find my ideal set of skis. I had such a great time using the skis over the winter season and I am wishing there was still snow on the ground!

This store is really great. It has all the high-end equipment your everyday weekend warrior or you're all day super outdoorsman would need to survive in the wild.they even have awesome kids clothing outerwear shoes and equipment. I love bringing the kids here because they like looking through and picking out their favorite apparel. It makes camping all that much more fun.

The bike shop here is great, the guys here really know their stuff! I make sure I take my bike here every year for a tune up or for help with any minor to major adjustments I need such as a different seat, etc. (I am not very handy!) They are super helpful, knowledgeable and have been able to teach me a lot about my bike/riding that I never knew before without making me feel stupid or silly. I don't feel comfortable riding my bike until it has been inspected by the staff here.

Bike stuff aside, this shop has everything you need for anything outdoors! Hiking, camping, biking, running, you name it, want it wish it and it is most likely here. For people saying that the prices are slightly higher, yes they can be however I don't mind paying a little more money for a quality, durable product that is going to last me years and most importantly NE SAFE.

I love this store, I bought my laptop bag and a leatherman multi tool from this location. Although I'm probably not going to, this place makes me want to WANT to go camping. Ya know?

Great selection and knowledgeable staff. Prefer the new store to the old one. Free parking is an upgrade

It's challenging to feel comfortable walking through MEC. Elitist in most ways: attitude, gear & prices. Occasionally they will have what you need and you can make it through quickly and unscathed by irony. Largely inaccessible to anyone who is grounded with common sense.

Great store and products but they could use better customer service skills and training.always hard to find someone and when you do there is 2-3 of the MEC staff having an conversation and you feel like you are interrupting them when you ask for help.today I walked around half of the second level and didn't see any staff.

I always enjoy going to this MEC location. Recently we purchased sunglasses for our two year old. Great selection of kids glasses

Staff can't seem to answer practical questions about gear. I suspect most of them don't participate in the activities.

I really like MEC, the service is fantastic. I have purchased a lot of equipment from here and the experience that really sticks out was when I was looking for a larger backpacking pack, the staff member was awesome and gave me lots of information about choosing the backpack that was right for me and showed me tips on how to pack it as well. I ended buying a really good pack. Later I went back to replace my old backpack (Not the one I bought from MEC) with one that had better that had back support in it and it has really made the difference.

I have never gotten a good customer service from mec Edmonton. If you are looking for something and asked a staff member. They will just tell you directions instead of guiding you through the store to what you want. It feels like we are bothering them when asking a legitimate question about a product. I have no clue about how mec hires their employees or what their business practice is, but they are doing a fine job at not having the best customer service. If anyone is looking for outdoor gear, I find going to campers village will give you what you need. Thumbs down to mec.

Excellent service here. I went in hoping to buy a hiking backpack that was on clearance but thanks to Nancy, we discovered it was not the right size for me. She helped me pick out a much better fitting one (even put weight in the bag and adjusted all the straps to make sure it fit right) and suggested an add on item that would make flying with a hiking backpack worry free. It's great having knowledgeable staff who make sure you're buying the right gear. Thank you Nancy and thanks for the suggestions for our Europe trip!

I bought a very expensive knife from the store when they were at the last location it's been well over a year and was concerned about returning it as to whether or not that would be acceptable, it was not only acceptable but they were extremely helpful and arranging it to be sent to my new address as well, completely free of charge and this was after they had closed they stayed an extra half-hour just for me which I deeply appreciated and did not expect.very helpful staff very positive and happy genuinely thanks to all your staff I have shared this with all my family and everyone very good business thank you

MEC is my jam. I used to work here and they were great to work with (especially considering other retail jobs!). I shop here every time I need gear for anything. The people here know what they're talking about because staff training is extensive, and they go out on field courses all the time with consistent opportunities to test gear and learn about activities they deal with at the store. I could probably rave about MEC forever. It's becoming more corporate over the last couple of years which is probably unfortunate, but I'm still comfortable in the store and with advice from people who work there.

Amazing shop with great staff! Have one of the best bike maintenance programs I've ever heard of. They do a really good job of helping bike set up. Anyone looking for an Intense brand bike this is your place for very nice high end bikes. Will be coming back here for more bikes. Ooh their parts stock is also the best I've seen in AB for all brands of bikes! I really hope these guys pick up some more brands as those service is great!

My first stop for most things I need when I'm not inside. Most items are top-notch quality and if you aren't satisfied they have the best return policy in all of the retail world.maybe even better than Costco!

Only problem is that my girls have discovered MEC and are beginning to love it too.