The North Face

I’m finally getting the value proposition of this store: it’s the service.
You can find the goods online, always for the same price and often for less. However, what’s not online is the excellent customer service I’ve always found at this store on multiple visits. The people that work here know the product line and are able to make useful suggestions about what is best for one’s particular needs. I’ve bought a bunch of stuff since my 2012 review and the shopping experience is always top notch. Very pleased with this location.

I’ve had the privilege of working with Ravi for a brief time and will say that he’s a terrific person inside and out, along with most of the staff at this location. As a former employee and current customer, they do what they can in trying to make your shopping experience as smooth as possible.

North Face has some work to do in their customer service department, but this location has a bright spot in their assistant manager, Ravi. My husband purchased a coat from this location that ripped the second time he wore it. We brought it back, and the store sent it to their warranty department. Three months later, we received a letter saying that we would be charged for the repairs. I tried to contact their warranty department via email and phone, but never received a response. When I tried to call, the line was either busy, or I was put on hold (for up to 20 minutes!) and disconnected. I made over 50 phone calls over a 21-​day period and could never get through. At this point, I contacted Ravi at the Grand Ave. location and explained my situation. He tried all day to reach the warranty department and he could not get through either. Ravi saw how distressed I was, and replaced my coat on the spot. We probably would not have shopped there again, but this act of kindness made us change our minds. Thanks, Ravi!

Expensive gear, doesn’t hold up, warrant non-​existant.
My family purchased 9 jackets for Christmas gifts and by March mine had a hole. The store sent it in to be fixed. They said they would mail it back to me but by Oct when I had yet to hear anything, I stopped in this store and they were basically helpless saying they have no system to track where my jacket was. He said he’d call me Monday when the «call center» was open. Monday — no call. So I called and spoke with a girl on the phone who was going to look into it and call me right back. She never did. Yet more phone calls later for days, I finally get a voice mail that they were sending me a gift card for a fraction of what the coat or a new coat would cost.
Don’t shop here. Drive the extra mile down to Patagonia or anywhere else because you’ll pay more at North Face but they won’t hold up, staff doesn’t do anything to help you for the price you pay, and clearly warranty is worth a fraction of what you pay even if it’s just 3 months later.

I give them a star because there isn’t a lower rating. I went into the store looking for a jacket. I found the jackets but not the prices. There was a clerk nearby and I asked her «how much» she said the prices were on a tag in the pockets. I suspect that all of the jackets on the rack were the same price as they were all the same style and she maybe could have told me the price. I looked in both the left and right pocket of a couple of jackets and found tags but no prices. I asked for the price again. I was the only customer in the store and I did not get an answer so I asked if the jackets were under $ 200. I was told that a person can not even get a decent pair of jeans for that price. I beg to differ but won’t argue because some folks are not as good at shopping as I am. I still don’t know how much the jackets cost. I left the store and probably won’t ever go back. Nice cloths but I get that they are not for me and just found a similar jacket on the Eddie Bauer web site.

Great store with wonderful service. I wear size XL and everything I liked they didn’t have my size. Oh well I’ll get it back in Seattle.

Staff was very knowledgable and helpful without being overbearing. While the apparel and products can be expensive, the quality and customer service more than make up for the high price tags.
On accident I threw my coat in the dryer on a high heat setting. Consequently the zipper was hot enough to slice the crap out of the inside of my coat. Despite my efforts of patching my coat back together with glue, it was still leaking down. I brought my coat into the North Face store on Grand Ave and asked if I could send it somewhere to be repaired. Without hesitation the clerk exhanged my coat for a new one, free of charge!

Fun little store on Grand Ave in St. Paul. They’ve got all the gear you’d need if you ever climb a mountain no where near the twin cities.
Actually, it’s a really nice store. I’ve gotten a jacket and a pair of shoes there before for my climb in Tanzania, and received good service while shopping for them.
The prices are pretty high to be honest, but the quality is great and they have a good return policy, so it’s essentially worth it, just hard to justify in the short end.