Retail Intel: Melissa Debuts Galeries Lafayette Installation + More News
June 9, 2022: Brazilian footwear and accessory brand Melissa has expertly transformed a small space in the luxury department store Galeries Lafayette Paris into an immersive art installment highlighting their latest international collabs and recent shoe launches. The installment — available for public consumption from May 31 to June 21 — will feature the brand’s latest international collabs, such as Simon Miller, Viktor & Rolf and Y/Project, alongside their recently launched jelly shoe line. The varicolored space, designed by Kleber Matheus, pays tribute to the brand’s quasi-vegan jelly shoe universe launched in February of this year. The jelly collection, which spans across the 3-D installment, is focused on celebrating Melissa as the initial trailblazer of the popular jelly shoe.
June 8, 2022: The Good Feet Store has opened its 200th location in partnership with one of its veteran franchisees, Bridget Kelley. Located at 219 Daniel Webster Hwy Suite C1 in Nashua, N.H., the new store marks a celebratory milestone as the health and wellness brand and franchise gears up to largely increase its national retail footprint over the next five years. “Coming out of the pandemic, The Good Feet Store is on track to deliver one of our biggest years ever in terms of growth, sales and expansion, and our business is well-positioned for the future,” Richard Moore, CEO of The Good Feet Store, said in a statement. The brick-and-mortar retailer has seen positive growth over the past few years and agreements are in place with franchisees to expand into most major U.S. markets, including New York City, Philadelphia, Miami, San Francisco, and Chicago by 2023.
June 6, 2022: This fall, REI Co-op will open a store in Mount Pleasant, S.C., which will be its third in the state. Located in the Indigo Square retail and dining destination at 1720 Shoremeade Road, the store spans 21,500 square feet and features a full-service bike shop, gear rentals, virtual outfitting and more. It will stock apparel and gear for camping, cycling, running, fitness, hiking, paddling, climbing and more. In a statement, the specialty outdoor retailer said there are more than 167,000 REI Co-op members in South Carolina, and upward of 28,000 members in the region.
June 6, 2022: Informa Markets Fashion announced on Monday that its Project New York men’s show will open a retail concept store during its July 18 and 19 trade event. Located at 14 West 24th Street next to the show at Iron 23, the shop will be curated by industry veteran Maurizio Donadi. Titled “Art, Artists, and Artisans: Project NY Retail Concept Store,” the shop will sell one-of-a-kind, “made in Japan” vintage denim from Donadi’s archive at Transnomadica, including fade-from-raw, selvedge and made-in-Japan denim, while presenting a provocative sustainable denim story. In addition to the Donadi archive, the retail space will include eight-to-ten hand-selected brands that feature exclusive drops for the pop-up, artisanal, and up-cycled/responsibly made apparel, accessories, and footwear from around the world. The store will be open to the public for the duration of the event.
June 3, 2022: J. Press is celebrating its 120th anniversary with the reopening of its New Haven store. Located at 262 Elm Street, the new store draws a direct link to the past as it adjoins the previous J. Press location on York Street. Measuring 1,780 square feet, the building has been restored to its original charm and an austere exterior featuring classic J. Press blue awnings. The shop has been decorated with vintage furniture from the original store and Ivy-themed bric-a-brac. This new store will offer a colorful collection of sportswear and the classic tailored clothing that J. Press has sold in New Haven for more than a century. This New Haven location will again play a large role in the operations of the business, re-connecting J. Press to its original hometown and providing a foundation for the next chapter of the business. J. Press has long occupied the space at 262 York Street spending over a century at that location until the building was badly damaged and had to be demolished in early 2013. The J. Press New Haven store was moved into several temporary locations, most recently at 206 College Street which has closed now that a permanent home has been established at 262 Elm Street.
June 3, 2022: Wolf & Badger has made its way to the West Coast with the opening of its first Los Angeles store, and second U.S. location. Situated at 8500 Melrose Avenue, the new single-level West Hollywood store occupies 1,600 square feet and will offer the platform’s array of sustainably and ethically-produced jewelry, fashion, accessories, homeware and beauty products. The space will also play host to a series of ongoing activations including workshops, product launches and styling events. The store’s design is of balanced restraint, drawing inspiration from Wolf & Badger’s London and NYC flagship stores while reflecting the uplifting mood of L.A. Greenery fills the space, offering a sense of calm, while the store’s open layout and minimalistic design lends full attention to their selection of brands that showcase the finest talent from around the world. This opening follows a year of tremendous online growth in the U.S., with sales surpassing $100 million. What’s more, Wolf & Badger has delivered a 100%+ compound annual growth rate from 2017-2021 and continues to see YoY sales growth in the high double digits.
June 1, 2022: Maguire, a sister-owned footwear and accessories brand, is opening its first NYC boutique. The store, which will open June 9, will be the brand’s first international storefront as it is based in Canada. The new store will be located at 198 Elizabeth Street and the opening will coincide with the arrival of the brand’s summer collection, which is full of strappy sandals, fun heels, mules and more.
May 31, 2022: Rag & Bone has opened its latest retail location in East Hampton, New York. The 3,000-square foot space at 46 Newtown Lane, features a twist on Rag & Bone’s signature retail aesthetic. Designed to highlight the store’s open plan, the gallery style presentation of apparel and accessories are displayed on bespoke fixtures such as modular pedestal sets, brass rails suspended by industrial straps along the ceiling’s wood beams, and custom hanging rigs to hero key looks in the collection. Wood stumps by local artisans, sculpture stands, and a variety of wall art along the front of the store are subtle references to artist communities in the Hamptons. In the back area of the store, a lounge area and a denim bar have been specifically designed for customers to have an elevated and easy shopping experience. Handcrafted walnut tables, live edge wood shelving, and a custom powder coated finished cash wrap have all been made in-house by rag & bone’s Custom Fabrication Shop. Digital display screens throughout the store showcasing the brand’s creative content complete the space. The East Hampton store houses the men’s & women’s ready-to-wear, denim, footwear, and accessories collections.
May 31, 2022: By Far, founded by by sisters Valentina Ignatova, Sabina Gyosheva and Denitsa Bumbarova, has opened its first retail location in Los Angeles. The boutique, which spans over one floor and occupies more than 2,000 square feet, is the brand’s first physical retail space. Featuring its handbags, footwear and accessories, the store also includes a curated mix of eclectic furniture, bright orange fitting rooms and was developed in a collaboration with Bumbarova, the brand’s creative director, and New York-based multidisciplinary design studio De-yan and production by Bureau Betak Paris. Located at 8408 Melrose Place, the flagship is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. PT and on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. PT.
May 31, 2022: Wilson Sporting Goods has opened its second store in New York, located at 1517 3rd Ave. in Manhattan’s Upper East Side. The brand said the location, which spans two floors and consumes more than 8,000 square feet, is focused on its continued commitment to sport, and features an expansive product offering across several categories. Equipment sold will include official NBA and WNBA basketballs, the official NFL football, the Pro Staff and the Clash tennis rackets and more. Also, it will stock the brand’s athletic-lifestyle sportswear collection for both men and women. Services in the store include full-time racket stringing, glove personalization, a golf simulator and more. Also inside, Wilson will debut its “Equipment Room” that will allow shoppers to rent select product to test before purchasing. The products available will be for sports including baseball, tennis, basketball and more, and rental fees will range from $5-$10 per day based on product, which will be taken off the final price of the product, if purchased. Store hours are 10 a.m. ET to 7 p.m. ET Monday through Saturday, and 11 a.m. ET to 7 p.m. ET on Sunday. Looking ahead, Wilson confirmed via statement that it will open a third store in NYC next month in Columbus Circle, as well as pop-ups in key locations this summer throughout the Big Apple. Also, the company will open its annual pop-up at the US Open.
May 25, 2022: For the second consecutive year, Marni is taking over the Sunset Beach Hotel on the sands of Shelter Island, New York from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend. The Italian luxury brand will “Marni-fy” the hotel’s outdoor and indoor areas via its “Marni Marine” summer concept. And, just like last summer, the ground floor spaces of the hotel’s store will be re-imagined through fabrics hailing from the Marni archives, giving a new and vibrant guise to the rooms, embellished with the signature colors, furnishings, and design objects of Marni Markets. The selection of Marni Market design objects and accessories for sale will also include a series of baskets, vases, magazine racks and sculptures, as well as necklaces, hats, bags – and fans conceived exclusively for the hotel. The pop-up, envisioned in collaboration with Sunset Beach, will allow guests to immerse into the creative philosophy of Marni. In this experiential place overlooking the ocean, guests can relax and enjoy sun-kissed long days absorbed in summer dreams.
May 25, 2022: A-Cold-Wall has opened its new six-week residency in the famed Doha Festival City Mall in Qatar. The store-in-store will be located within the three-level 80,000 square-foot Harvey Nichols flagship, which plays home to a carefully curated roster of luxury brands. Part of an exciting brick-and-mortar expansion across multiple regions including APAC and the Middle East, the pop-up will play home to the spring/summer 2022 collection, allowing consumers in Qatar direct access to current product in a dedicated A-Cold-Wall space. Conceived in-house by the brand’s creative team, the space reflects established A-Cold-Wall* design codes, an evolving architectural program tying global retail spaces together. Alongside consistent visual elements echoing modernist and industrial principles, each individual location receives a set of custom aesthetic tones. The Harvey Nichols Doha store is defined by a series of powder coated volt yellow x-frames, lending the 7.2 square meter (approximately 77.5 square feet) space an open feel while signaling a note of bold optimism. Brushed stainless steel plating plays with light and reflection, a nod to seasonal garment detailing, as still and moving editorial imagery bring the spring/summer 2022 narrative to life.
May 20, 2022: Ebay is setting up shop in Los Angeles with a store that rewards sneakerheads for actually wearing their new kicks out of the store. Open Memorial Day weekend on Fairfax Avenue, the “Wear ‘Em Out Store” will feature some of the most exclusive and coveted sneaker styles for up to 70% off today’s market price, with lower prices for shoppers who literally wear their purchases out the door, the online resale site said in a statement. What’s more, eBay has enlisted Migos’ Offset to help curate the Wear ‘Em Out Store’s offering – using his years of sneaker collecting to determine what collectible kicks enthusiasts would most want to un-deadstock. Ebay will also give attendees to this weekend’s Sneaker Con Anaheim an exclusive preview of the Wear ‘Em Out Store – including several of the styles that will be unveiled on Fairfax, like the Jordan 1 Retro High OG Patent Bred or Yeezy Boost 700 Wave Runner. The store will feature a selection of the season’s most coveted styles, including new releases that would normally only be available at deadstock prices.
May 18, 2022: Fendi has opened a new boutique in the Greek island of Mykonos inside the Nammos Village, one of the most important summer and shopping destinations located in the south of the island. Inspired by the Mediterranean culture and the Mykonian flair combined with the signature Fendi codes, the 90 square meter (approximately 969 square feet) store has been designed with a special and exclusive concept. The two-floor store, realized in the traditional white Cycladic architecture, welcomes the entire Fendi universe, with all categories from the womenswear and menswear lines. A dual-gender ground floor is dedicated to leathergoods, accessories and shoes, exposed on turquoise oxidized copper displays that recall the colors of the seabed. Walking up the softly shaped staircase with ivory resin steps, the first floor opens to an area dedicated to women’s and men’s ready-to-wear. The fitting room surprises with a precious raffia wallpaper with inserts that recall marine atmosphere. Two terraces are designed to give continuity to the indoor feel: light blue resin at floor and raffia and bamboo furnishings. Handcrafted colored ceramic vases, enrich the space.
May 17, 2022: Italian luxury brands Fendi and Versace are continuing the celebration of their new Fendace collab with the opening of two pop-ups in New York City and Los Angeles. The New York Fendace store, located at 90 Prince Street in the SoHo neighborhood of Manhattan, offers the capsule’s full men’s and women’s range. Likewise, the L.A. store also offers the capsule and is located at 323 N Rodeo Drive. Both stores will remain open through June 19. In September, Donatella Versace characterized the Fendace show as “a milestone moment,” a full-on creative swap presented on the runway. As reported, Donatella Versace, designed a Fendi collection and Kim Jones, Fendi’s artistic director of couture and womenswear, created a Versace lineup. The swapping went as far as Fendi producing the Versace collection and vice versa and the project meant each designer dived into the other brand’s archives. The ‘Versace by Fendi’ women’s and men’s collection designed by Kim Jones and Silvia Venturini Fendi launched in Fendi boutiques and on Fendi.com Thursday, May 12.
May 17, 2022: Off-White has launched its beauty collection with the brand’s first ever retail pop-up at the Saks Fifth Avenue‘s New York City flagship and on Saks.com. Off-White Beauty’s debut collection, titled “Paperwork,” launched last month with fragrances, makeup, and nail polish that are positioned as ageless and genderless by the brand. Off-White founder Virgil Abloh, who conceptualized “Paperwork” prior to his passing, defined the collection as “another canvas, another surface for human expression.” The pop-up at Saks marks Off-White Beauty’s first brick-and-mortar retail partnership. To kick off the pop-up, Saks and Off-White Beauty are hosting a consumer-facing event on May 25, where customers can interact with the products and receive complimentary stenciling and engraving. The collection additionally has a dedicated landing page on Saks.com.
May 16, 2022: Allbirds has opened its first store in Nashville. Located in the Green Hills neighborhood at 2126 Abbott Martin Rd., the 3,259 square foot store includes nods to the local Nashville community including a Tennessee Iris flower tote bag; Purple Martin laces; and a Music Row-inspired pin. In addition to this store, Allbirds has also opened its third Chicago-area store on Monday. Located at 833 W. Randolph St. in the Fulton Market, the new 3,975 square foot shop marks the brand’s 43rd store globally. The new location includes nods to the local Fulton Market community like custom mosaic tile artwork Service Bar created by local artist Jim Bachor; a Chicago Fulton Market wooden pin; and White Tail Deer laces.
May 12, 2022: Milan-based women’s footwear brand Michele Lopriore has opened a new store in Boston’s Copley Place, making it the company’s seventh U.S. location. Located in the historic Back Bay neighborhood at 100 Huntington Ave., the new 1,500 square-foot shop speaks to the brands’ Italian heritage and craftsmanship. Displays around the shop call attention to the brand’s new designs with a touch of Italian flair. Inspired by the first Michele Lopriore stores opened in Milan in the 1990s, the design of the store aims to evoke the brand’s new contemporary look. According to the company, it aims to expand its retail presence in the U.S. after experiencing a growth of 200% in 2021 with projections of a 50% growth for 2022. Established in 1986 by Michele Lopriore, the brand is family owned and operated and today already includes the next generation – son Mike as company CEO – as part of the team.
May 11, 2022: SoleSavy is set to launch Collect, a new marketplace that allows for showcasing, buying, selling and trading their sneaker collections while connecting with others. According to SoleSavy, Collect was created to allow app users to “interact and transact peer-to-peer within a trusted community, reversing a trend of seller-first marketplaces, anonymous transactions and excessive aftermarket pricing.” What’s more, SoleSavy said it has removed itself from the transaction equation by “empowering users to buy, sell and trade both new and used sneakers with more flexibility and no extra processing fees.” SoleSavy identified its identity verification process as a key feature that employs “Know Your Customer” technology — which it said is the same process used by banks and financial institutions to prevent attempted scams — which allows for a safe and fair environment for transactions. SoleSavy said Collect has been in private beta testing mode with a select group of members since March, and is now open beta on iOS and the Google Play Store for all SoleSavy members. What’s more, SoleSavy said NBA players Mikal Bridges and Immanuel Quickley have joined the open beta and members can check out their personal collections.
May 10, 2022: Neiman Marcus has opened a new Loewe pop-up featuring the brand’s collaboration with Paula’s Ibiza at the retailer’s Beverly Hills flagship. The pop-up experience, aptly named “La Playa,” features the latest capsule collection of Balearic staples alongside activations such as a complimentary nail art station and specially curated cocktails. The La Playa experience at Neiman Marcus Beverly Hills nods to Loewe x Paula’s Ibiza’s signature fun and lively culture by featuring a curated selection of vinyl records with 100% of the proceeds benefitting The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts. The experience at Neiman Marcus Beverly Hills runs May 5 – 23, and the pop-up runs at Neiman Marcus Atlanta from May 16 – 31. The collection is available now at Neiman Marcus Beverly Hills, select stores and on
May 10, 2022: Sabah, best known for its handmade shoes inspired by traditional Turkish slippers, has opened its first-ever flagship store in New York. Located at 56 Bleecker Street, the 1,600 square foot store is inspired by the caravanserai found along the ancient Silk Road. In addition to Sabah’s full collection of leather shoes, goods and accessories, the brand’s new store also carries a large assortment of third-party products. The store also features the colorful ‘Where To Next Bar,’ serving complimentary tea, coffee and cocktails. Situated near the Crosby Street entrance, which is flanked by outdoor seating, the bar invites passersby in for respite. To celebrate the store opening, the brand collaborated with Bellocq Tea on a custom-blend inspired by the Silk Road and ceramicist Casa Mari Cruz on an exclusive assortment of tea service accessories that is served and sold in-store. The opening of Sabah House New York marks a big moment for the brand as it approaches its 10-year anniversary. The store beneath Mickey’s apartment in New York City’s East Village remained Sabah’s only retail location in the city until 2018, when it opened a creative space on the fourth floor of a discrete building nearby. Sabah House New York will be the brand’s fifth permanent store, complementing the Sabah Houses in Amagansett, Dallas, San Francisco, and London.
May 4, 2022: Boon Barn has inked a new lease for a 14,354-square-foot store at Union Lake Crossing, a 393,000-square-foot shopping center serving the greater Millville-Vineland market in southern New Jersey. The Union Lake Crossing store will be among two initial locations that Boot Barn is opening in New Jersey later this year, as the 303-unit chain pushes northward along the East Coast from existing locations in Delaware and Pennsylvania. The other New Jersey store will be in Cherry Hill. Boot Barn’s Union Lake Crossing store is expected to debut this fall, occupying a space between Party City and Xfinity. The chain will join a mix led anchor Target, along with Shop-Rite, Kohl’s, Ross Dress For Less, Staples, and PetSmart. Other notable tenants include Famous Footwear, Party City, and Five Below.
May 4, 2022: Pacsun‘s SoHo flagship in New York City has dawned a whole new look as the space was embellished in the brand’s newly released Etoile Monogram Capsule pattern in celebration of the summer 2022 collection. Announced last month, Pacsun’s Etoile Monogram Capsule is a fully gender fluid collection, inspired by the sand and sea of California’s coastline, consisting of not only apparel, but lifestyle items and summer essentials. To kick off IRL activities for consumers and guests, Pacsun hosted a livestream with runway model and content creator, Mathieu Simoneau, who gave a preview into the collection, store displays and decor. Simoneau also stars in the campaign, alongside Emma Chamberlain. Throughout the month of May, store-goers can enjoy boardwalk-like entertainment, including branded claw machines, and more.
May 2, 2022: To mark the Dior fall 2022 fashion show by women’s artistic director Maria Grazia Chiuri, which took place in Seoul on April 30, the French luxury brand has opened a new concept store in the heart of the South Korean city’s Seongsu-dong neighborhood. The new store welcomes visitors in a spectacular structure reminiscent of the legendary façade of 30 Montaigne. Within this fabulous open-air construction, a stunning garden is revealed, inspired by both Korean nature and jardins à la française; a celebration of Monsieur Dior’s love of flowers, according to the brand. Resembling a luminous glass conservatory, the Dior boutique reveals – in a decor punctuated by original pieces by Korean designers – the different domains of the brand, from women’s ready-to-wear to sneakers and bags, along with a Café Dior. Further, Dior has joined forces with the digital design company d’strict in order to recreate the atmosphere of Christian Dior’s childhood villa in Granville.
April 29, 2022: Gucci has opened its newly relocated store in Las Vegas in The Shops at Crystals. The two-floor boutique spans almost 12,000 square feet and features both casino and street level entrances, showcasing a wide collection of men’s and women’s shoes and ready-to-wear, handbags, luggage, small leather goods, fashion and fine jewelry and watches, eyewear, and Gucci Beauty and fragrances. The space also features a large hand-painted mural designed by Ignasi Monreal. It’s a continuation of a long-standing relationship between Gucci and Monreal, whose work is characterized by the blending of his classical art background with digital dexterity. Monreal has previously collaborated with Gucci on the spring/summer 2018 advertising campaign and the Gucci Hallucination campaign and collection. Monreal’s mural at Gucci Crystals will highlight the creative intersection of classic Italian frescos with the playfulness of Las Vegas, in Monreal’s whimsical and spirited style. The newly renovated Gucci at The Shops at Crystals joins Gucci’s other Las Vegas locations.
April 28, 2022: Carhartt has opened a new store in Nashville. Located at 5019 Broadway Place, the 4,000-square-foot store carries the brand’s full range of styles including fear, footwear and accessories for the whole family. While this is the first Carhartt-branded retail store in Tennessee, the company has had a presence in Camden, Tenn. since it began sewing operations there in 1993. This opening marks the 35th company retail store across 20 states in the U.S. “We are excited to add the state of Tennessee to our retail footprint and to make Carhartt gear easily accessible to local consumers,” said Mark Kastner, director of retail store operations at Carhartt. “With skilled trades opportunities on the rise, DIYers rediscovering their passions, and a growing number of people who simply enjoy working with their hands, there is an increased demand for our Carhartt gear. We look forward to providing products to support our consumers’ lifestyle on and off the job site.”
April 26, 2022: Vince has officially reopened its flagship store on Fifth Avenue in New York City. Now encompassing the contemporary brand’s full product offerings, the label has introduced extended sizing for women’s sizes 18-24 — as well as its Vince x Nu Swim summer capsule, available up to size 2X — in-store for the first time. The 2,800-square foot store now includes a brand new shoe salon as well, which will showcase its full women’s shoe range and exclusive styles for the midtown location. Aside from its new remodel, the brand will also utilize the location as a method to spotlight artists and galleries like Claude Home, Morgan Peck, Simone Bodmer-Turner and Jessalyn Brooks. The boutique will also host a series of in-store programs for customers each month, ranging from panels to workshops, wellness sessions and demonstrations.
April 25, 2022: Meta has announced that it will open a 1,550 square-foot retail store in Burlingame, California on May 9. The store will allow shoppers to experience products such as Portal, Ray-Ban Stories and Quest 2 and reveal what a future in the metaverse could look like. “We’re not selling the metaverse in our store, but hopefully people will come in and walk out knowing a little bit more about how our products will help connect them to it,” said Martin Gilliard, head of Meta Store, in a statement.