new stores on the block

In partnership with

mornin’ merry makers 🎀👟🧦🏈👙

when i worked at apple & warby parker, new store openings were big deal.

it was the moment all the behind-the-scenes work became something you could touch, smell, & walk through.

apple more so, with certain locations getting sneak peaks, people flying in for the ribbon cutting, custom store specific merch, lines around the block, and an epic clap in of the first customers to walk through the door. an occasional tim cook appearance.

for apple, these stores always get press and noticed, but for most stores from other brands, new stores fly super under the radar.

the photos never make your feed because the marketing team is busy promoting something else or they just forget.

i think this is such a shame.

so i’m starting something new. i’ll be rounding up who’s opening stores, where, when and most importantly, why it matters.

because once you start paying attention,

you realize how much strategy is revealed in opening a single new storefront.

loveshackfancy

what: the brand that turned floral prairie dresses into an empire

when: october 18

where: soho, ny, ny

address: 462 broome st, ny, ny 10013 (btw greene & mercer)

neighbors: paige, golden goose, & rails

why it matters:

• first true flagship with the full monty. complete product assortment including apparel, beauty, fragrance, home goods, activewear, kids, & curated vintage.

• 24th location of this size (& budget) marks a commitment to scale as operations must get much more streamlined and mainstream form here.

• google shopping's virtual try-on guinea pig. being first to implement new retail tech signals strong vendor relationships & willingness to experiment.

new balance

what: the brand beloved by grandpas, models, & gen z

when: october 18

where: soho, ny, ny

address: 542 broadway, new york, ny 10012 (@ spring street)

neighbors: schutz, uniqlo, armani exchange, & crocs

why it matters:

• that millennial pink moment on the exterior looks very similar to loveshackfancy. guess they’re trying to clearly signal they’re for the girls?

• smaller spaces, tighter collections for gen z. they’re systematically upgrading their ny presence while shrinking size to have curated colllections.

• soho = streetwear hq. this location puts them in the heart of sneakerhead culture. could easily see more collabs, more drops, & way more lines on saturday mornings.

bombas

what: the dtc apparel brand, known for their socks, happiness guarantee, & buy one, give one model

when: october 17

where: west village, ny, ny

address: 345 bleeker st, new york, ny 10014 (@ w 10th)

neighbors: 7 for all mankind, aesop, & do not feed alligators coffee shop

why it matters:

• new ceo from under armour took over in may. this move this to be clearly a play/test from the new ua hoping to trigger some strong offline growth.

• 1st of 3 announced stores signals testing phase. following the playbook of testing 3 retail types: a street (this one), an indoor mall (boca town center, boca raton, fl), & and out door shopping center (domain, austin, tx). i bet the mall does best.

• 65% of sock sales happen in other people's stores. dicks, nordstrom, target, dsw own their customer relationship right now. opening stores means bombas wants to control their narrative & captures that sweet, sweet first-party data.

skims

what: kim k's shapewear empire that i wrote about in depth in june (read it).

when: october 15

where: mall of america, mn

address: 112 west market, suite w112, bloomington, mn 55425 (1st floor)

neighbors: apple, columbia sportswear, & canada goose

why it matters:

• 8,000 sq ft = statement store. to go larger than their very large nyc stores means that malls must be really working for the skims. i’m not surprised.

• from 1 to 17 stores since june 2024 is very rapid growth for physical retail. most brands take 5 years to open this. skims isn’t playing soft.

• first minnesota store matters for middle america validation. if you can make it in the mall of america, you're officially mainstream.

cardvault by tom brady

what: the sport for sports cards, trading cards, and authenticated memorabilia

when: october 23

where: victory park, dallas, tx

address: 3030 nowitzki way, suite 103, dallas, tx 75219

neighbors: american airlines center (home to the mavericks & dallas stars)

why it matters:

• 8th location in strategic sports markets every store sits near major sports venues or high-traffic tourist areas. this is destination specific commerce.

• buying, selling, trading, AND grading. they're not just selling cards, they're creating a full ecosystem. think gamestop but for sports memorabilia & without the meme stock drama.

• the tom brady rebrand power. mr brady acquired 50% stake in existing 5-store chain. he slapped his name on it too to help with the credibility. i expect to see them in a lot more sports arenas quickly.

p.p.s. if you want more free merry makery reads, click below to check out today’s merry partner, ag1. i’m 1000% addicted to this daily routine.