Princess Polly Plans New York City Debut with a Store in SoHo

Rhea-AI Summary

Princess Polly, part of a.k.a. Brands Holding Corp. (NYSE: AKA), announced plans to open a new store in New York City's SoHo neighborhood in early 2025. The 8,000-square-foot location at 514 Broadway will feature over 5,000 styles across two levels, including apparel, footwear, and accessories. The store will include Instagrammable spaces, a permanent photo booth, LED screens, and 12 fitting rooms. This expansion follows the brand's first physical location in Los Angeles in 2023 and planned openings in Scottsdale, San Diego, Boston, Santa Clara, and Orange County, marking significant growth in Princess Polly's U.S. brick-and-mortar presence.

Positive

• Expanding physical retail presence with new 8,000 sq ft flagship store in prime NYC location
• Strategic expansion targeting Gen Z demographic in major retail markets
• Multichannel growth strategy combining digital and physical retail experiences

Negative

• Significant investment in brick-and-mortar retail during challenging retail environment
• Increased operational costs associated with physical store expansion

Insights

Market Research Analyst

The expansion into SoHo represents a strategic but risky move for Princess Polly amid challenging retail conditions. While the 8,000 square foot location in a prime shopping district could enhance brand visibility and capture foot traffic, the significant overhead costs in Manhattan's expensive real estate market raise concerns about profitability. The experiential retail approach with Instagram-friendly spaces aligns well with Gen Z preferences, but success will heavily depend on converting social media engagement into actual sales.

The aggressive multi-city expansion plan, including locations in Scottsdale, San Diego, Boston, Santa Clara and Irvine, signals confidence but also increases operational complexity and financial risk for a.k.a. Brands. Given the company's relatively small market cap of $245M, this rapid brick-and-mortar expansion could strain resources and impact margins in the short term, though it may strengthen long-term market position if executed successfully.

The Australian-born fashion brand beloved by Gen Z expands on the East Coast with the upcoming opening of its latest brick-and-mortar location in Manhattan

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- a.k.a. Brands Holding Corp. (NYSE: AKA), a portfolio of next generation fashion brands, today announced plans to open a Princess Polly store at 514 Broadway in New York City’s SoHo neighborhood in early 2025. The upcoming launch of its NYC location marks a significant milestone in Princess Polly’s plan to continue growing its physical footprint across the U.S., allowing the brand to foster deeper connections with its community of Gen Z customers on the East Coast.

The NYC store spans approximately 8,000 square feet across two levels, and it will feature over 5,000 on-trend Princess Polly styles, from the latest apparel to footwear and accessories. Consistent with the brand’s four existing stores, Princess Polly’s SoHo location will offer highly Instagrammable spaces, including a permanent photo booth and large-scale LED screens showcasing videos of the newest styles and campaigns. Equipped with 12 fitting rooms, the store will also feature a curation of unique furniture throughout the space, inviting customers to sit back and enjoy the Princess Polly shopping experience.

“We’ve listened closely to our U.S. customers and know there is appetite for more Princess Polly stores, so we’re thrilled to put Princess Polly on the map in one of the biggest and most exciting cities in the world,” said Eirin Bryett, co-CEO of Princess Polly. "With a spacious layout, various photo opportunities, and a broad selection of our latest styles, this store supports our larger strategy to make Princess Polly’s in-person experience accessible to more customers. This milestone SoHo location represents the next chapter in Princess Polly's evolution as we continue to blend digital innovation with immersive retail experiences that resonate with our Gen Z and millennial community."

Earlier this year, Princess Polly announced plans for brick-and-mortar debuts in Scottsdale’s Fashion Square, San Diego’s Fashion Valley, Boston’s Newbury Street, Santa Clara’s Valley Fair and Orange County’s Irvine Spectrum Center. The brand’s first physical location opened at Westfield Century City in Los Angeles in 2023. True to its brand DNA, Princess Polly’s store openings are rolled out in tandem with exciting events that engage with the brand’s robust student customer set and loyal Gen Z community.

To shop Princess Polly products online, visit us.princesspolly.com.

About Princess Polly

Princess Polly is a leading fashion brand delivering the latest trends, exclusive designs and lower environmental impact looks to trendsetters globally. As industry pioneers in the digital space, Princess Polly is constantly evolving and is now expanding its presence further into physical retail. Princess Polly brings its unmatched fashion and shopping experience to brick-and-mortar stores, enhancing accessibility and connection with its loyal customers. Follow @princesspollyboutique on Instagram and @princesspolly on TikTok.

About a.k.a. Brands

a.k.a. Brands is a brand accelerator of next generation fashion brands. Each brand in the a.k.a. portfolio targets a distinct Gen Z and millennial audience, creates authentic and inspiring social content and offers quality exclusive merchandise. a.k.a. Brands leverages its next-generation retail platform to help each brand accelerate its growth, scale in new markets and enhance its profitability. Current brands in the a.k.a. Brands portfolio include Princess Polly, Culture Kings, mnml and Petal & Pup.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241101789143/en/

Investor

investors@aka-brands.com

Media

media@aka-brands.com

Source: a.k.a. Brands

FAQ

When will Princess Polly open its NYC SoHo store (NYSE: AKA)?

Princess Polly plans to open its NYC SoHo store at 514 Broadway in early 2025.

How large is Princess Polly's new SoHo store?

The new SoHo location spans approximately 8,000 square feet across two levels.

How many Princess Polly styles will the NYC store carry?

The store will feature over 5,000 Princess Polly styles, including apparel, footwear, and accessories.

Where was Princess Polly's first U.S. store location?

Princess Polly's first physical location opened at Westfield Century City in Los Angeles in 2023.