British footwear brand FitFlop announced the opening of its first store in the United States. The New York outlet is located on Mercer Street in downtown Soho.
The store has a total square footage of about 800 square feet. The outlet was designed by the local studio Checkland Kindleysides and featured a light, bright atmosphere. The design features tactile tile, a red wave ceiling and a giant screen at the entrance.
FitFlop began expanding into the U.S. market and opened its first physical store shortly after receiving a $30 million loan from Aurelius Finance Company. It is known that much of the funds will be used for branding, marketing and advertising as part of the brand development strategy.
Soho has been attracting many DTC brands lately, including Vuori, Joybird, Parachute and Faherty. FitFlop was previously only sold in multi-brand stores, and opening its outlet is a big step in increasing the brand’s national recognition.
“We have a global strategy in place and the USA is one of the biggest markets as we look to evolve and grow in the wellness space,” FitFlop CEO Gianni Georgiades said in a statement. “Offline retail is a big part of our storytelling and gives us to showcase our product and bring our USP to life in the physical realm.”
The new store will feature the brand’s seasonal collections, while the full FitFlop range will be available to U.S. customers on the brand’s website. The brand’s products are sold at Macy’s, Nordstrom Rack and DSW. Worldwide, the British brand’s products can be found in over 7,500 outlets.
