New store may guide Laguna into future

Laguna Beach has a new store, and to understand it, you have to think REI meets “Moonrise Kingdom.”

Poler Outdoor Stuff, at 1360 S. Coast Hwy., combines sophisticated recreational equipment with quirky, generation-bending style. Its grand opening is slated for July 7.

“It’s curated old meets new,” said Chris Noyes, company president and local resident.

During a recent behind-the-scenes tour, Noyes said the small, Portland-based firm has worked hard to localize its products and other offerings to fit the Laguna lifestyle.

“We’re experiential retail,” he said, pointing out a custom, surfboard-toting bike, which was created in partnership with Specialized Bicycle Components. The bike has fat tires and pull-out shelves in the back for propane cooking.

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The company has taken the Baja surf adventure theme to its extreme with an elevated tent-camping experience called the Adventure Mobile.

The designs for all the products have a distinctive, 1960’s retro flair but with modern technology and fabrics.

Noyes said they worked directly with Pendleton Woolen Mills to craft certain designs that evoke an old school charm while retaining the durability and quality expected today.

In addition to Poler-branded rucksacks, sleeping bags, throw rugs, mugs, hats and other clothing items, there is an assortment of camping essentials, like knives and wood hatchets.

The store won’t compete against the likes of a dedicated outdoor store like REI or Cabela’s, but that’s not its sole focus.

Besides, it won’t be all about the retail at Poler. Given the unique space at the former nursery, Noyes said the focus will also be on building a variety of community-minded activities.

On First Thursday Art Walks, for example, a room will be dedicated to interesting art. A big central area — with couches and other fireside decorations — will allow for live music.

There is also space for third parties to have pop-up booths for about a month at a time.

Poler already has a surf and skate team but will not be competing against the local pure plays. Noyes said the company knows its boundaries.

For Laguna, the introduction of a store like Poler, especially with its midtown location, offers a compelling change in the retail mix. Not only is it a more experimental effort, but it will cater to a younger demographic looking for something else — people who perhaps think less about the product and more about the experience.

If done right, it could be one of the first retail hangouts.

Noyes hopes that the vibe will catch on. The store’s brand banks on eclectic adventures: “We make stuff for the roamers and seekers,” says its website.

The company is content with being slightly off the grid.

Right now, there is no phone. If you want to find out anything, check Instagram, #polerstuff.

It’s this type of social and market awareness that is driving growth in an otherwise tepid retail environment. All major area malls and developers are building out alternative locations to accommodate these types of stores.

The challenge for Poler in Laguna will be whether it can drive enough volume. The gear is generally pretty expensive for young people, who are being forced out of Laguna because of the cost of living.

And let’s face it, tourists and seniors typically don’t buy camping gear. So it will not be easy for Poler, but retail never is.

It’s probably not unlike what Wes Anderson hears every time he makes a movie. “Moonrise Kingdom,” for example, is a coming-of-age tale about a 12-year-old boy and girl running away from the constraints of their out-of-touch parents.

Noyes admitted that the company identifies with the Anderson aesthetic and DNA, which deftly combines warm, beautiful designs with an eccentric lifestyle that’s unafraid of risk.

What is refreshing here is that we are assigning human and cultural value to retail.

Granted, it’s not new that a brand tries to grab hold of its target market with altruistic visions, slogans and a soothing color palette.

But it is fairly new for Laguna, which doesn’t really know what to do with the millennials.

Perhaps Poler can tell us around the campfire.

DAVID HANSEN is a writer and Laguna Beach resident. He can be reached at [email protected].

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