A new era in apparel starts nau

A start-up outdoor apparel company aims to change no less than the very way people shop.

The past decade has seen the rise of Internet commerce, where a new car or a used book is just a few clicks and a credit card number away. Early next year, Portland-based nau (Maori for “come to me”) plans to open four “Webfronts,” a concept one company executive describes as hybrid brick-and-mortar/online stores.

“This reflects increasingly how people are shopping,” said Ian Yolles, nau’s vice president of marketing.

The initial 2,000-square-foot Webfronts — a term nau has trademarked — will be located along urban arterials in some of the Western United States’ largest cities. The company, which began life earlier this year under the name UTW — shorthand for “Under The Wire” — has yet to finalize exact locations, but it has already fleshed out how the Webfronts will work.

Patrons who visit the Webfronts will be able to try on a wide selection of waterproof jackets, durable cotton shirts and other staples of the outdoor apparel industry. Sales associates will be there to answer questions, but the touch-screen Webfronts add a new dimension. Shoppers will be able to use the on-site computer terminals to read technical details about Nau’s products, or to purchase the products for a 10 percent discount.

Products purchased online — whether at home or in the stores — will be shipped from a Portland warehouse to the consumer within days, Yolles said.