Arc'teryx Melbourne

My experience with Amer Sport (Melbourne) and Arc’teryx last month (April 2025)… For context, I have been an avid supporter of Arc’teryx for close to 30 years. My Wife and I have owned maybe 15 – 20 pieces, perhaps more, over that time. I have a 4 or 5(?) year old Alpha SV, worn less than 12 months in total. Seam tape is coming off and the material has delaminated in multiple places. Amer Sport, who now own Arc'teryx, declined to do anything about it, either under warranty or via a paid job. They said that it was beyond "Practical Product Lifespan", an ambiguously defined term. Their warranty guy was less than sympathetic. “Abrupt” would be a better description. In the past, up to last year, Arc’teryx was very generous with their product support. They would readily replace an item, if it was a manufacturing fault, or if possible, repair it for a reasonable sum. It did not matter how old it was. No more. The warranty guy at Amer let slip something that implied that the warranty period is now less than 1 year. He said he would have entertained a claim if the jacket was less than 12 months old. That is very poor for a once-great brand, and for an AUD1400 jacket, marketed as “Our most durable GORE-TEX PRO shell. Designed for severe alpine conditions”. I took the jacket to a very well-regarded outdoor equipment repair shop in Melbourne, but they were not able to do anything. They returned the jacket with the comment, “Unfortunately the jacket has clear signs of delamination on hood, hem, arm sleeves and rear. Unable to repair.” The rep also thought the quality of Arc’teryx had declined. This prompted some research, and it now all gels. Arc’teryx was once a great company, as founded by Dave Lane & Jeremy Guard, with a reputation for toughness and quality. It made equipment that was to be used in the harshest of conditions. The target market was professional guides, SAR, serious outdoor enthusiasts, etc. No longer. I obviously don’t have the inside story, but it all seems to stem from Arc’teryx being taken over by Amer Sport and ex-Lululemon executives. They company is now moving into the mass-market, streetwear segment, using the cachet it formerly enjoyed as high-end technical wear for marketing. Look at the website and the products. Grottoflage? Veilance? Walk into the Melbourne flagship store and it is a very glitzy fitout – like you might find in Zara or H&M, versus a specialist outdoor store. 99% of the buyers seem to be young Chinese (there are even signs in Chinese in the store), most of whom I would bet have never worn hiking boots, ski boots, or climbing shoes. You certainly would not go there to get advice on technical issues. Tying it all together, the new target market for Arc’teryx does not require the expensive quality of the former products. They are fashion pieces, not meant to last. Cheaper material and manufacturing quality helps the bottom line, as does the winding back of product support. I have bought my last Arc’teryx piece. Should you buy it? Depends on what you want. If you change your gear annually, have a generous budget, and spend more time on the streets of Melbourne or Beijing, and the label means something to you, then go for it. If you are indeed looking for technical wear, and you will know if you are in that market, then there must be better choices. An AUD1400 Alpha SV jacket that totally delaminates in less than 12 months wear, with no product support, is not it. I feel sad about all this, but Arc'teryx is no longer the company it was. Don't know what I will go with in the future. Maybe Norrøna or Stellar? I have a pair of their Lofoten ski shell pants, and they have been great. PS: If you think this is an isolated experience, search customer product reviews. Words like "delamination" and "mo support" feature regularly.