At a time when many brands are moving more business online, Smith is doubling down on building his business with a comprehensive U.S. expansion plan focused on growing both the label’s wholesale presence and owned
It’s this passion for the customer experience that has led to a new three-year U.S. retail expansion plan, which kicked off last fall with the completed renovation of the brand’s iconic Melrose Avenue flagship in Next up in its three-year plan, the company will be relocating its San Francisco location in Union Square to Jackson Square in September. “We’ve been in the same location for 15 years, and this new store in Jackson Square is a more relevant neighborhood for us and our growing customer base,” Smith said.The retail plan also includes looking at new locations while leveraging data from e-commerce and wholesale performance to bring the brand to new communities.
And while stores are certainly important to the business, e-commerce is also a focus. So far, e-commerce sales year-to-date are up 24 percent in North America, Smith said. This is due to the American consumer shopping more frequently as well as growing commerce partnerships, he added.By category, ready-to-wear is still the brand’s bread and butter.