Mountain Equipment Co-op (MEC) Review

The new MEC is beautiful. It doesnt seemed to be very well stocked yet. I went in for bike oil and a 10 dollar cycling water bottle and neither were there. The down side is that it now seems like a high end outdoor store instead of a co-op created to ensure quality lower cost gear for the budding outdoor enthusiast.

Not much stock left but was lucky enough to find the gel seat biking pants in my size! Friendly helpful staff...

I live next door and come here often. They just have the worst customer service of any high end retail store In Vancouver.

If I'm writing a review is because I have important things to say.
Let's start by saying that I've been to several bike shops, and we know how many there are in this city, but my experience at MEC's was by far the best one.
I had them change my bike's rear wheel and cassette, and install new fenders. They treated my old rusty bike like it was a fancy new one, that's how I felt when I got it back, call me crazy but those were the vibes I felt.
They cleaned up the whole frame without my saying anything, I was surprised not to see the usual dirt build-up at the bottom. AND they tightened my U-lock (the thing that attaches to the bike was loose).
Also, I'm no expert in bike stuff, I'm still learning and they take the time to explain things to you and don't just assume you understand what they're talking about.
I feel like I didn't appreciate them enough when I picked Ramira (yup, my bike's name) up but there are things you notice when you hop on and start riding again.
I will be back, for sure. I'm slowly pimping my old bike to make it safer and nicer and now I have a preferred place. Thank you, thank you, thank you, MEC technicians.

Have been a member of MEC now for 25 years. Over the years have purchased numerous items at this location as well as several others.
Big store can find pretty much everything you need for your camping, hiking, outdoor activities here. I have to agree with some other reviewers the prices can be high here. So if you are going to be buying some name brand equipment shop around since you may be able to find it elsewhere for a cheaper price. Membership costs $5 which you need to have to purchase items there. If you don't have a membership you can just get one at the check out and they will just add it to your bill.

My go to bike mechanic. Cheap, high quality service. They also stick to stated timelines unlike every other bike shop in Vancouver.

Love Mec. They have everything you need for the outdoors

Just useless customer service folks at the membership/returns desk, waited for almost 10 minutes and they couldn t even help 2 customers, then one went on break. I left because I couldn t be bothered to wait another 10 minutes for them to get to me (2nd in line)

Nice. Some products very cheap, other products very expensive; when compared with similar products of other stores. Great service.

Awesome place! Kept asking what took so long to pay a visit at this outdoor lover s paradise. Go and spend a fortune to live like a homeless .

I love this store. They're got everything you could ever need for outdoor recreation. The staff are friendly and most importantly, they're knowledgable!

Nice and organized. Friendly staff. Could have better prices

We where walking by and decided to visit the store (we had no idea about the mask)until we where right at the entrance, we didn t want waste our time, we were in line and after us it went so big so we asked if they have mask available.

The staff member replied everyone knows is mandatory and it is on our website, plus all face mask are sold out since ### (couldn t understand what he said), then he suggested we should go to London drugs and find our mask)

I would be okay maybe with a sorry we don t have available for customers.

I always go here for bike repairs and parts and have never had a issue . Staff knows what they are doing and don't rip people off.

At times a little understaff and slow but generally helpful

Parisa helped me today with my decisions on mountainaineering boots and backpack. She was a very experienced employee on mountaineering in all aspects.

Wonderful place for outdoor stuff, great staff who always have an answer

A huge selection of everything for the outdoor world

Very cool. Tons of stuff to chose from. If you want quality gear this is the place for it.

This place is the best! MEC staff are awesome, just like the products.

Just feel like the quality of MEC is in continual decline...

Used to like this store and company. But they have sold out to a US private investment firm without consulting its members. How about just call it ME because there is no Co-op here.

Good selection of product. Staff was standing around talking trying to look busy, hard to get help

Very busy at present as they have massive discounts. MEC is moving locations and they have sales of up to 70% off on all sorts of stuff.

Consistently good place for outdoor enthusiasts. They have an emphasis on hiking, biking, rock climbing, camping, and trekking so their merchandise is selected accordingly. If you are a runner, they have a good selection of shoes and some accessories but it is not quite as extensive as speciallized stores. There is a good spread of nutrition items as well as literature and electronics so overall very well rounded. I can spend hours just drooling over stuff there and it is my favorite go-to places when in Vancouver.

Well stocked store, but prices will be cheaper elsewhere.

If you're going to MEC, you are probably looking for a one stop shop.

Gone 3 times to pick up my order, everytime at least 50 people in line... your only open 12 to 5? And no Sunday hours? No special pickup area for online orders? You wonder why your losing money, figure it out.... send your manager to Costco or Canadian Tire and see how to properly run a big store

Would have been 3 stars because their stock is currently so low, but the gentleman in the camping department was so helpful, they needed another star. Normally love me and I understand the current crazy times, but wanna give an honest rating

Impressively large store for the location on Broadway. The staff are friendly and knowledgable on products and the store. Great stock of outdoor equipment.

Lines like long but move quickly when ready to checkout, quick, friendly.leave you're taillight and headlight at home if u bike, strange how a busy place like that has issues with some bike parts theft(I had a headlight ripped off)

Great variety of products and services for living life away from a screen. Good service from the bike shop but can be busy.

Tried to buy shoes at this location twice but both times I ve stood around waiting for a staff member to help me for more than 15 minutes, so I ve walked out.

Incredible customer service being a customer for the last 20 years

Hands down the best store and customer service you can get for outdoor equipment!

New location has expensive parking (1 hour minimum) and despite the store being quiet on a Sunday morning, no staff interacted with us.

I've been a member of the MEC since the early 2k's and have and ways loved this place. It is pretty pricy but not as much as other places. It is my go-to place for bike parts. Sometimes backpacks. Staff here are always awesome.

Not happy with the service and prices are very high compared to other stores. I didn t appreciate their sales person talking down to me as if I knew nothing. There are many other options for buying gear, I ll be taking my business elsewhere and I d strongly recommend you shop around for a good price and service, unless you like paying too much and people talking down to you.

Fantastic return policy and knowledgeable, eager staff. Good hours too.

Best Outdoor Equipment store, period! And it's a co-op! Win-win. Best lifetime $5 membership you will ever spend

The selection, customer service and expert advice is great. Not the cheapest place but prices are reasonable considering the quality.

I was looking to buy a Softride Dura 4 bike rack that I was going to use in an upcoming road trip and MEC was listed as a store on the Softride website who carries it. I called the Vancouver store before going over and spoke to Lawrance who said they had several in stock. When I went over, Mark was assisting me. When he checked the stocks it turned out all they had in stock wes an open box that was returned by a customer and it seemed the package might be missing a few pieces. Mark looked on the system and found out that the Langley store has one in stock. He called the Langley store and made sure that this information was correct and put a hold on the item for me. Mark was very helpful. I drove over to the Langley store which is 35km from the Vancouver store. When I showed up there it turned out there was a mix up and they actually didn't have any of the Dura in stock but the Element which is a lesser version of the Dura and the Vancouver store had plenty of them in stock as well. Mark did offer it to me. I was extremely disappointed, having driven 70k to get an item that was supposedly in stock. I called before I went over and this still happened. The guys at MEC were extremely nice, but totally inefficient. This is not acceptable.
I ended up buying the Element, which I'll use for my upcoming trip and once the Dura is in stock I'll return the Element and pick that one up.

Only 2 checkout open while 25 ppl are waiting in line

Excellent customer service, they go above and beyond for their customers.

This store is just as much a candy store to out door enthusiasts as Lee Valley Tools is to the handyman and the hobyist.

It has the largest collection of backpacks any where. Their own backpacks are built to last. I bought my day pack here 15 years ago. It is well used, washed multiple times and travelled with me every where I go and it jus last and last.

They have a large selection of bike gear and climbing equipment. Their outdoor wear are the best. Prices are great! Of course you do pay more for quality but it is going to last many years it is well worth it.

Their batteries, especially the button batteries, are some of the cheapest in town. The greatest thing about all of this is the there is ample parking space.

I've known this store for more than 10 years now. It has become quite expensive, but it has a warm spot in my heart :)

Incredibly helpful and friendly staff! Special shout out to Claudia, Byron, and the guy at cash who talked about my MEC backpack with me!

Parking could be tricky at sometimes. There is rooftop parking, but I don't like that company so I opt for street parking. The store is well equipped for almost every outdoor sport that you can imagine. I've been a member for many many years. The people that work there are very knowledgeable about what they sell. I really enjoy stopping by whenever I'm in town.

MEC kinda makes you want to get up and do sports! It's an amazing place to find the equipment you're looking for. You should check it out, specially when they have a sale going on!

Great store with a wide selection of outdoor gear. I picked up a pair of hiking shoes from here a few years ago.

The shoes' soles wore out and MEC didn't honour their lifetime policy. My shoes survived through treacherously trying hikes, though.

February 8th. I'm afraid I had the same experience as Danika. I am planning my first solo trip through Europe and being from the Sunshine Coast I made time while my mom was at a medical appt to come and try on the MEC Supercontinental back pack which is a high end travel pack. I picked out a 65 and 75L pack and made my way over to the shoe department benches to check them out, I spent 10 minutes taking them apart and trying then on while being completely ingnored even making a point of looking at a group of employees chatting hoping one would break away. Finally really needing some info I went on search of someone. She spent very little time with me, didn't offer any info or advice. I walked around with it empty for a bit when I found her again I said it was hard to tell since it was empty. She said not a problem they have weights I can put in.... would have been nice to have been offered that right away. Once I had loaded 50lbs into the pack, I put it on myself with very little assistance from the associate. From there I spent 40 minutes walking around with it.
While wearing the pack I figured I would try some Keens on, as I will be needs those to, again had to ask for assistance, the associate brought the shoes out, set the boxes down and walked away. I'm sitting there with a large pack on my back obviously trying not to fall over backwards and she never once offered me assistance, not even removing them from the boxes. So again with the shoes on I walked the store not one person asked how I was doing. When my arm began to get numb and sore I again searched for assistance and was shown that I didn't have it adjusted right, he was helpful and showed me the adjustment I needed to make and why. And that's a biggest deal if you don't know what the straps do any why you can never properly adjust it.
Anyway, I know this is a long message but this is a big investment for me and an important one that I have to know how to wear properly. I was very surprised by the lack of attention given. I will be going back to get the pack as it is the best one I've seen, but I won't be going back to that location.

It's MEC!! ALTHOUGH, was it just me, or did it seem like they were missing a lot of stuff?? Also, it's certainly gotten much more expensive than I remember it being!

My overweight wife almost broke all of the racks in the store.

I always have trouble finding staff to help me at this location. Always clean and tidy with quality products.

Always a good time at MEC lots of fun things to check out and great deals. A solid vancouver staple.

My favorite place in the city to get outdoor gear for our summer camping trips. The staff are friendly, and helpful, and are easily approachable. Competitive prices and good online site too.

You can buy everything you need for all outdoor activities.

Great store for outdoor equipment! The staff are helpful, and the return policy is fantastic. I recommend it for anyone that needs outdoor adventure gear. :)

Very helpful staff. Unfortunately, some low stock items indicated to be available in store on their website weren't actually in stock. Best to call ahead to verify merchandise availability if an item is low in stock.

Only very good experiences here. good return policy and experienced staff. I really recommend this branch.

nothing to say... incredible place to buy any kind of outdoor stuff and they have his oun brand, really cheap and nice quality also.

MEC has great selections of outdoor gears that come with a long lasting guarantee. Items are pricy so pay attention to discounts.

Love this store so much! Super helpful staff and great equipment at decent prices.

I understand that during this time, staffing may be an issue, but my experience on Thursday June 4 was unacceptable! I Got there at 11:30am and Waited in line for 30 mins for the store to open. Not unexpected given social distancing rules at this time, but when I went to checkout, I waited another 30 mins to pay! There was only 3 people in front of me at the time, but only 1 cashier available to handle both returns and people who wanted to pay. What made it really frustrating was there was 5 other staff members in the checkout area doing other things besides helping the ever growing line of customers wanting to pay and get on their way!

When I left, the line up outside, was getting longer and longer. Those people probably ended up at the store for a minimum of 2 hours. Sorry MEC, I ve been a customer for over 30 years, but you ve made me a believer in online shopping.

Good place for buying accessories but expensive for clothing.

Ethical candy store for back packers.
Why would you support any other store.
Pricing, staff and the range of gear is stellar.
Been going here for as long as I can remember.

Just bought 1st pr of ski boots. Fantastic experience! Good selection of beginner boots at surprisingly reasonable prices. Was helped by Kyle who was patient, friendly and knowledgeable. Really glad I went.

Great range of gear that changes to match the seasons. Some of the best prices on name brands, and even better priced MEC branded gear as well. This is my first stop when i think of outdoor gear!

If your new to Vancouver and need seasonal stuff for the great out doors this is the place to get it, they are a coop so there is a small membership few but they listen to what you have to say and make changes.

Sometimes the place is a bit messy and staff is hard to find but always helpful when you do.

Prices have started to climb and they carry brands name over house name more which is a little disappointing.

Best place to get your outdoor gears and traveling stuff!

Great store with every little thing you'll need for sporting, camping or hiking related items. You'll need a membership which can be obtained for $5 (lifetime)

Just curious why BC'ers say "M" "E" "C" and Albertans say "MEC". Either way so awesome.