A new Under Armour store is bringing sports apparel, interactive technology and a connection to Montana State University to Gallatin Crossing.
WATCH: Inside Montana's first Under Armour store in Bozeman
The store opened Friday, becoming the first Under Armour location in Montana.
For shoppers from West Yellowstone, the new store also means less driving to find sports apparel.
“Yeah, it shocked me; it's a pretty nice store,” said Pedro, who was visiting the store with friends Rodrigo and Noah.
The three friends said living in West Yellowstone previously meant traveling about two and a half hours to find more options.
“[Now] We don't have to drive 2 and a half hours away to go get something.”
Mason Ford, an events and activation team member with Under Armour, said the store fits naturally into Bozeman’s existing sports and outdoor community.
“It's cool to have this in Bozeman and the sports community that already exists here.”
Ford said the store also carries products that fit Montana’s climate and outdoor lifestyle.
“Things that make sense in this market: we have a lot of our outdoor gear and our cold weather gear as the temperatures start to drop.”
A longtime connection with MSU
Under Armour and Montana State University have had an exclusive partnership since 2012, with Under Armour serving as the university’s official supplier of athletic gear.
That partnership has now been extended through 2030.
Inside the new store, photos of Montana State athletes line the walls. Ford said the store also plans to host MSU athletes.
“We’ve loved being partnered with them; we’ve loved working with them; we are going to be hosting their athletes with us as well.”
The store is also being positioned as a place for younger athletes and members of the local sports community.
On Monday, members of the Gallatin High School Raptors visited the store, checked out the merchandise and signed the store’s athlete wall.
First of its kind
The Bozeman location is the first Under Armour store in Montana.
However, its brand house and factory house combination is the first ever. The store combines elements of a traditional Under Armour brand house with a factory store, offering customers a range of products at different price points.
“The brand house and the factory house to be able to have that middle ground price point where people can get quality products at a good price.”
The store also features a large screen designed for watching sports. Ford said it is the first Under Armour location to offer that type of sports-viewing feature.
“Nothing has a screen that you can watch sports on.”
Another feature is the store’s interactive dressing rooms, which can identify the items customers bring in and help them find another size or color.
“If you need a different size or want a different color.”
For the three West Yellowstone teens checking out the store, however, there was still one thing missing: Montana State football gear.
“Amazing store; they just don't have any football drip for us.”
Ford said that merchandise is on the way. “Yeah! We will have Montana State merchandise coming in this week.”
