The North Face

Very nice store! I brought my son here to exchange a coat that he’d gotten for Christmas, it was too big and he needed the next size down. We were greeted immediately upon entering, and were helped to find exactly what we were looking for. And then we were helped by someone else to perform the actual exchange.
I found the staff very friendly.
The store was immaculate, and had a great selection (even though the store was on a bit of the small side — they still had quite a bit of stock!). It was bright and colorful, and they carried many styles of coats/​clothing. They even had kids stuff!
I would totally come back here if i were in the market for a North Face Jacket.
The negative reviews for price are ridiculous — everyone knows that North Face is expensive. It’s no reason to give them a bad review.

Filled with your typical North Face products, upsettingly low inventory on jackets, which is what most people shell out the big bucks for when it comes to this product. North Face has become a fashion trend, and I’m guessing that those sporting it so casually are unaware of the quality of the product they’ve just paid a lot of money for. The cost of North Face is justified considering they take care in making sure they gear meets the needs and standards of active people, especially those that are active in all sorts of weather, mostly the cold. This store lacked assistance, and seemed to have more of a presence on principal as opposed to bringing in customers who are actually trying to shop, especially for specific items. You’re better off going online to get what it is you need, the store doesn’t come close to offering even a small portion of what they have to offer.

Good selection and the employees were helpful.

I found the staff to be pleasant, but the merchandise is just too pricey for me. I tried on a couple coats which, though surely very warm, didn’t strike me as worth the $ 250 $ 300. Until I move up to a higher tax-​bracket, this place isn’t for me.

Went into this location today to exchange a coat, and it was not a good experience. I can understand that the staff want to be helpful, and that they are probably working on commission, but that does not mean I want you to follow me ALL OVER THE STORE, when I’m just browsing, and not asking for your help.
Also, when I try on a jacket that I like, don’t tell me, «That’s a men’s jacket.» I know it is – that is why I’m in the men’s section, LOOKING at only the men’s coats.
I finally found a coat that I wanted, but they did not have it in my size, in the color that I wanted. He was unable to see if it was available online, and explained that their technology was «behind the times».
He said he could call the Skokie store to see if their location had the coat that I wanted. Yay! He was finally being helpful! He dialed them up, and then proudly reported that they had two in my size, and that he had put one on hold for me. I jokingly whispered to my girlfriend that it would be a miracle if we got there and the CORRECT coat was being held for me. The girl at the register, who was hanging on to my original jacket, was equally spaced out.
No miracles today. He had requested that the Skokie store set aside a completely wrong coat for me. Luckily, the employee at the Skokie location was friendly, and fixed the problem quickly, finding me the correct coat, in the correct size! Her name was Alyssa, I believe.
If you are planning on spending $ 300+ on winter clothing, I suggest you try the Old Orchard location first. Helpful staff, much bigger selection.

Since this will be my first Chicago winter, I needed a few «extras» to keep me warm. (I’m used to a lighter winter). First, I asked my local friends about items I would need and what brands to trust. I basically got North Face & Columbia. I don’t have much time since I’m a grad student, so I basically just decided to go to the North Face store and try on a few things before I bought anything online.
Well first off, the guy who helped me, I believe his name was Todd, was absolutely amazing. He was so nice, so helpful, and I never felt like he was trying to oversell me anything. He answered all of my questions, brought up other ideas, and even told me if he thought something was unnecessary for me to buy.
I tried on a bunch of boots (and even got the tip that you should go up ½ size in boots — mind you, I’ve never had to buy boots before, so this was great to learn), and the staff was great the whole time. Another associate was nice enough to answer a few questions for me as well about the products. I was still a little unsteady about the prices of their stuff (everyone know it’s overpriced, but the people I’ve talked to said that the products hold up for years), so I ended up leaving the store and going online so I could think it over and eventually I bought a few North Face items from the website (a few more than I intended actually). I just received them a couple days ago and I am in love with everything I bought. Moral of the story– always do your research first and you’ll rarely be disappointed.
So, Long story short — amazing customer service, very knowledgeable staff, great products, nice store (I wish it were just a little bigger), great location. I really can’t say anything bad about it (except that I wish it was cheaper — which I’m sure everyone does). If I need any more winter gear, even if I just have questions about the products, I’ll definitely go here.

What is wrong with the customer service at North Face, do they train the sales associates and strictly enforce the rule of don’t help the customers. The customer service here is worst than the store on Michigan Ave and to top it off the selection in jackets is thin. It is like they pick all the expensive jackets and sell them in the Evanston store. I basically walked in and walked back out and went to Uncle Dans instead.

I have been here last weekend and I am so amazed with the customer care at this store. My mom and I were helped by Jessica who went above and beyond to help us out. She made calls to find the right size, she made sure jackets fitted and that we tried them on and that we liked the color and that we were happy with our purchases. She helped us pick the right coat for us because she was very knowledgeable about north face products. I am so happy with my new north face jacket.

This will be my first winter in Chicago. I started doing some research on various brands of outerwear, and the North Face store in Evanston was convenient. Most people are aware that North Face is overpriced. You must admit, their apparel fits and looks considerably better than Land’s End.
I’ve been to this store at least three times. I find their men’s section to be larger, and greater varied than the women’s. Keep in mind that North Face stores only offer a small percentage (less than 5%, so I was told) of their brand’s clothing and accessories. In other words, you may not find a specific item here unless it’s part of the new season.
The North Face has numerous jackets, each with minor differences. (For example, the Windwall 2 fabric is measured at 20 CFM, while the Windwall 1 is only 14 CFM. The Windwall 2 also has extra pockets, and costs 30 dollars more.) Finding these differences can be frustrating at times.
The service is average. I did feel uncomfortable after a conversation with one of the sales associates:
Me: I’ll trying to find a coat without down insulation.
SA: Why’s that? Our down jackets are the warmest.
Me: I don’t wear down because I’m a vegetarian.
SA: *looks at my shoes* You’re wearing suede.
Me: I bought these shoes five years ago (a year before I became a vegetarian).
I don’t like my ethics questioned. (The shoes probably made me seem like a hypocrite, but it would be wasteful to throw away a pair of shoes that I’ve had for years.) I think it’s easy to avoid down outerwear. There are synthetic insulation like Primaloft and Polarguard that are inexpensive and low maintenance alternatives to down.
Anyway, there is this one helpful and informative female associate that answered many of my questions. It’s not easy for some people to spend $ 300 on a jacket, so any advice builds «shopping confidence».
If you live in the northern Chicago or in Evanston, it’s worth checking out this store before making the trek to the Michigan Avenue location. If you’re interested in other outerwear brands, check out Uncle Dan’s a few blocks away. They offer North Face, Patagonia, Marmot, and more, but the prices are about the same and the service is much friendlier and helpful.

I think this store is a great addition to downtown Evanston, which already has a fair amount of sporting goods stores but lacked a store with a decent North Face collection. Another great benefit of this store’s location is the parking, unlike at the Michigan Ave location. Sure it’s a little bit of a hike, but you can make an afternoon of shopping in Evanston if you have time to explore, or just go during non-​rush hour times and it might even be quicker than going downtown.
The staff here was very attentive. While some salespeople are clearly still being trained on the North Face basics (the store just opened), I didn’t feel like my questions went unanswered. When my salesperson wasn’t sure of an answer, she asked another salesperson for help. Their selection is great, definitely compared to a Sports Authority or Dicks at this time of year, but I can’t say how it compares to Michigan Ave. It’s a smaller store, so probably less selection. Still has all the necessities though!
Great service, convenient location w/​ample street parking, full range of styles and sizes. I was in and out in 20 minutes with a brand new jacket and a smile on my face :) Today’s shopping mission: accomplished.

I really wanted to like this store. It is so close; it’s getting cold and warm coat would be nice; and frankly, I am a gear geek. I love «performance fabrics.»
There is another North Face store downtown, and I found it to better stocked, with a more helpful staff. Maybe the Evanston location just hasn’t found the right people. My partner went in looking to spend her money on a jacket, but no one would help her. The two employees couldn’t even bother to stop their conversation while she stood and waited for their assistance.
I went in and found help more easily, but the sales person didn’t seem to know much ABOUT the coats. He could tell me what that little card attached to the sleeve said, but when I asked for a recommendation for a nice winter coat, he just pointed me at one of the expensive ones that they have been instructed to try and sell. He didn’t ask me what I was looking for. That cookie-​cutter help doesn’t endear me to spend upwards of $ 400 in the store.
They have most of the popular jackets at this location. If you know what you want, go on in and pick it up – the store is very nice and it is pretty easy to find everything. But if you want help deciding, try a more specialized «outfitter»