Nordic Outdoor is bringing Scandinavia to Glasgow. The construction work is well under way. Right now it might be a dusty mess, but the end result will be far from it – and in a couple of weeks’ time it will be ready. What you will see when you visit the newest addition to Great Western Road is the fruition of months, if not years, of work and planning.

Work is currently under way in Glasgow

Of course, there are a lot of administrative tasks that go into opening a new shop. A whole heap of them. In fact, if you stacked them all on top of each other it would be some challenge to summit them. But we won’t bore you with those here. Instead we want to use this blog to give you an insight into the values that we build all our shops around.

When you step into one of our shops we want you to feel like you have just stepped into a piece of Scandinavia. Of course it is about the products, after all that’s why we exist, but just as much it is about the attitude. The way we see and do things are heavily inspired by Scandinavian outdoor culture – and the products that we stock are a reflection of that.

We believe that the outdoors is for everyone, and that it should be part of everyday life. What that entails doesn’t really matter and can differ in as many ways as there are people.  Whether you regularly stand on top of mountains, enjoy the walk with the dog in the mornings or the occasional post work hike, you need quality gear that will allow you to be as comfortable as possible – no matter what your passion is. In fact, when it comes to outdoor clothing and equipment, a lot of the time what those who enjoy the extreme and those who enjoy the casual need is actually the same thing.

This is the Scandinavian attitude we want you leaving our shops with.

Our Bruntsfield shop - a piece of Scandinavia i Edinburgh

We take great care when we select products for our shops. There is a reason behind what hangs on every hanger, and sits on every shelf. A lot of the time this requires travelling to see the actual product first hand before we decide to bring it into our shops. What this extensive selection process means is that without speaking a word to our staff, you have still received advice the second you step in the door – just by what you can see in front of you.

Some brands you might have heard of, others not. The common denominator is that they all fit into our philosophy. The trust that we strive to gain from you as a customer is that you come to our shops, not because you know the individual brands, but because you know that a brand wouldn’t be there if it didn’t fit the Scandinavian outdoor ethos.

It is also important to know that no matter the design and quality, there is no single product that will be best for everything. We select what we believe to be the best options for each area of use – it is then the task of our staff to guide you to what is right for you and what you want to use the product for.

Our tent show room in Granton - our shops have the same core values, but unique identities.

These are the core values that we build our shops around. However, that doesn’t mean that every shop is identical. We want each shop to have an identity of their own. Just as there is no single product that is ideal for everything, there is no shop blueprint that works perfectly for every location. We couldn’t do what we do without our staff – and since they are such an important part it is only natural that, to a certain extent, their shop is influenced by their personality.

We are really excited about the upcoming opening of our Glasgow shop, and hope that those of you that have the opportunity will come and see us there or in one of our other shops to find out what we are all about. For those of you that won’t have that opportunity, hopefully in the future we will be in a city closer to you. That’s the goal!