Apex Outfitter to open second location in downtown Cary in 2026

Apex Outfitter’s move into downtown Cary is more than another storefront announcement. It is a sign that a Triangle retailer built around outdoor gear, action sports and community events believes Cary’s urban core can support more daily shopping traffic, not just restaurant crowds and special events.

The company said it will open its second location in fall 2026 and bring the same community-first approach it has cultivated since opening in September 2012. Apex Outfitter describes itself as the Triangle’s locally owned outdoor and action sports store, and says it supports local trail stewardship in addition to hosting community events. A downtown Cary shop would put that identity closer to runners, cyclists, hikers and families who want a specialty outdoor retailer in the center of town instead of a more suburban strip center.

That matters for Cary’s retail mix. Downtown districts tend to succeed when they can hold onto local-serving businesses that create repeat visits throughout the week. A store like Apex Outfitter can help do that by adding another reason for shoppers to come downtown for practical purchases, not just dinner or a festival. The flip side is that every new addition can also push a downtown toward a pricier tenant mix if rents rise faster than independent merchants can absorb.

Cary has spent more than a decade building the conditions for that kind of growth. The Town of Cary created a Municipal Service District in 2012 to support downtown revitalization, adopted the Downtown Park Master Plan in 2013 and reaffirmed downtown’s role in the 2017 Imagine Cary Community Plan as the cultural and social heart of the community. New parking decks and other retail-supporting infrastructure are still being added, including projects intended to make it easier for shoppers to stop, park and walk.

Apex Outfitter’s expansion also shows confidence in Cary’s downtown as a business address, not just a redevelopment project on paper. The store’s growth from its Apex roots to a second location in Cary suggests the company sees room in Wake County for more than one audience: longtime Triangle customers, downtown workers and residents, and visitors looking for an active-lifestyle brand with local roots. If the store draws steady traffic when it opens, it will strengthen the case that downtown Cary can still make room for independent retail as the district continues to mature.