Gilly Hicks, a brand in the Abercrombie & Fitch Co. portfolio that offers underwear, loungewear and activewear, today announced it is reintroducing standalone stores in EMEA following the successful rollout of its new prototype in Columbus, Ohio.
This Summer, the retailer plans to open a new store located on London’s Carnaby Street, an internationally renowned shopping destination. This store builds upon existing demand for Gilly Hicks in the market and will provide a first-of-its-kind brand experience in an iconic location.
A second standalone Gilly Hicks location will also open this spring at Westfield Centro in Germany, as Abercrombie & Fitch Co. continues to evaluate global growth opportunities for the Gilly Hicks brand.
“We’re thrilled to mark the next chapter of Gilly Hicks’ growth strategy by opening standalone stores in EMEA,” said Kim Dolder, SVP and General Manager of Gilly Hicks. “We have been encouraged by the performance of our standalone store in Columbus, which has provided a tangible brand experience for customers to explore our products and find their ‘daily dose of happy.’ We’re excited to bring this concept to our EMEA customers, who have been responding well to our reimagined product assortment and brand identity that was introduced last summer.”
Last July, the brand announced an expanded product assortment that matches everyone’s styles, regardless of gender identity, as well as a new brand purpose aimed at helping Gen Z find their happy place. Additionally, Gilly Hicks introduced new digital brand experiences, which included an app, website and social media channels.
The new Gilly Hicks stores have been designed to ensure customers of all gender identities feel as comfortable and confident as possible. The stores’ fitting rooms feature privacy lockers for customers to request additional sizes from associates and light and music controls to cater to each customer’s preferences. Additionally, the store is equipped with Click & Collect, Order in Store and Reserve in Store capabilities, as well as handheld devices that allow associates to connect customers to omnichannel offerings, functionalities to avoid the checkout line, and more. Twenty-three Gilly Hicks side-by-side with Hollister locations in the U.S. and EMEA are currently designed to reflect the branding and experience of the standalone store concepts.
“Carnaby Street is the perfect location to reintroduce standalone Gilly Hicks stores in London, as it’s not only an iconic shopping destination, but it’s also where we know our target customers are shopping,” said Daniel LeVesconte, GVP, Global Brands, EMEA at Abercrombie & Fitch Co. “This new store is an important step forward in growing the Gilly Hicks brand and represents our company’s overall commitment to the EMEA market.”
Samantha Bain-Mollison, Retail Director, Shaftesbury says: “We are delighted to announce that Gilly Hicks has chosen Carnaby for their first UK standalone store. Gilly Hicks is at the forefront of innovation and brand experience when it comes to helping Gen Z’s feel comfortable when shopping. We are proud to welcome a brand like this into our already thriving retail destination.”