Fred Segal on a Main Push to Increase Shops in US and Across the World

Till lately, Fred Segal has had solely 5 shops, principally in Southern California, in its lineup of cool outposts full of fashionable merchandise.

However that may change with two shops opening quickly and extra on the best way as the corporate reprises growth plans within the works earlier than the COVID-19 pandemic.

First up is a retailer in Marin County close to San Francisco adopted by a brand new retailer on a premier purchasing avenue in Santa Monica, California. As well as, the corporate is seeking to increase in different U.S. cities and Asia.

Within the subsequent few weeks, Fred Segal will open a 2,100-square-foot location on the Marin Nation Mart in Larkspur, California, a well-to-do suburb throughout the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco. It’s the retailer’s first foray into Northern California.

The Marin retailer’s growth happened by a little bit of retail networking by Jeff Lotman, who purchased the Fred Segal model in 2019.

Lotman is aware of Jim Rosenfield, the proprietor of the 75-year-old Brentwood Nation Mart, a quaint assortment in Los Angeles of purple barn-like sheds round a central courtyard. That friendship set the stage for Northern California as a result of Rosenfield additionally owns the Marin Nation Mart in addition to the Montecito Nation Mart close to Santa Barbara, California.

“We had been speaking forwards and backwards about doing one thing collectively, and there was a possibility that got here up. I had been up there earlier than to Marin, and I do know it’s a actually great place,” Lotman stated. “With all the pieces taking place in San Francisco now, this location really works to our profit as a result of there aren’t that many nice locations to buy in downtown San Francisco anymore. Being over the bridge goes to work effectively for us and that demographic has some huge cash.”

The Marin Nation Mart, an open-air purchasing village established in 1975, has a number of well-known tenants, together with James Perse, Jenni Kayne, Birkenstock and The RealReal.

The Fred Segal retailer is slated to open round Sept. 15, relying on development, and can comprise a number of California manufacturers, non-California manufacturers and the curated classic assortment Discovered by Fred Segal. The shop’s California labels will embrace Staud, Simon Miller, Slvrlake Denim, Les Tien and Monfrère. Different manufacturers will embrace By Malene Birger, Sir., St. Agni, Utilized Artwork Kinds, Hall, MM6 and r13.

Subsequent up is an outpost at 1533 Montana Avenue, a main purchasing road in Santa Monica. The two,600-square-foot retailer is scheduled to open someday in October. Once more, it was a matter of excellent retail networking to seek out the precise location. “I actually obtained a name on a Saturday that Burro, a present retailer, was transferring out. On Monday, we had a take care of the owner,” Lotman stated. “We had been wanting for a very long time for a spot, and this happened. I instantly knew the spot, and the owner was tremendous excited to have us.”

Extra areas are within the works. Not too long ago, Fred Segal closed a New York Metropolis pop-up retailer, launched final November at 252 Lafayette Road in Manhattan’s SoHo neighborhood. The retailer is now contemplating a bigger everlasting location. “We obtained an incredible response as anticipated as a result of New York is our second-best space for e-commerce gross sales. Los Angeles is primary and Miami is third.”

With Miami a well-liked e-commerce spot for the model, Lotman stated he’s additionally contemplating that metropolis for a brand new footprint.

On the worldwide entrance, Fred Segal has had a retailer in Seoul for 2 years. It was carried out in partnership with Hanwha Group and is positioned on the Galleria Luxurious Corridor. Extra shops in Asia could possibly be on the best way. “We’re investigating and actually wish to get into Japan. It was one thing that earlier than the pandemic we had a deal that was arrange,” Lotman stated. “We’re hoping one thing there develops shortly. That’s form of my subsequent goal. After which after Japan can be China. I might go to Shanghai, Beijing and Guangzhou. Once more, pre-pandemic we have been very near beginning with a associate in China. I’m hoping that may come again once more.”

Whereas retail is increasing shortly, Lotman stated e-commerce and personal label continues to be his main focus. “E-commerce has carried out extremely effectively, and we try to construct our non-public label,” he famous.

On the e-commerce entrance, Fred Segal lately partnered with stay purchasing social community Covet by Christos to promote items from Discovered by Fred Segal, the retailer’s curated assortment of classic designer clothes, purses and watches, in addition to items, limited-edition books and different gadgets.

Fred Segal’s first stay streaming occasion was on Aug. 26 and lasted two-and-a-half hours. “We took in only a hair underneath six figures,” Lotman stated. “We bought like actually 20 classic luggage and a few items. We bought a ton of candles and a ton of T-shirts. It was very profitable, and we’re going to do much more.”

The concept is to do two exhibits a month. 

The Fred Segal model has gone by a number of iterations because it was based in Los Angeles in 1961 by famend retailer Fred Segal, who handed away on the age of 87 in 2021. He was a person earlier than his time who wished to make costlier blue denims that may promote for $19.95 as an alternative of $3.

He began out with a 350-square-foot retailer on Santa Monica Boulevard earlier than he moved to Melrose Avenue the place he pioneered the then-novel shop-in-shop idea and experiential retail that launched up-and-coming labels synonymous with SoCal type (suppose Juicy Couture, Laborious Sweet Cosmetics and Earl Denims). He later opened one other location in Santa Monica with the identical shop-in-shop format.

In 2012, Sandow Media acquired the worldwide rights to the model and commenced taking issues in a extra tourist-oriented route. It opened a Fred Segal retailer on the Tom Bradley Worldwide Terminal at Los Angeles Worldwide Airport. Then it opened a location on the Las Vegas strip. Later, each these shops closed. Two years in the past, Lotman opened a Las Vegas location at The District at Resorts World.

In 2014, Artistic Arts Company-backed Evolution Media Capital acquired a majority stake within the model and opened a 13,000-square-foot retailer at 8500 Sundown Boulevard, which continues to be the corporate’s flagship in Los Angeles.

Jeff Lotman got here into the image in 2019 when he acquired the Fred Segal model and has been slowly increasing ever since, together with launching buzzy collaborations with pop-ups. Subsequent up, on Sept. 7 might be Canada Goose x Rokh x Matt McCormick.