Dive Brief:
- Following a soft opening in March, DTC footwear brand Vivaia officially opened its first wholly owned store on Wednesday in the SoHo neighborhood of New York City, according to a company press release.
- The 900-square-foot store is located at 68 Prince Street and is the same site as the brand’s pop-up location that was open from Thanksgiving through the December holidays. It is designed with exposed brick reflecting the city’s heritage, along with greenery and natural light.
- The brick-and-mortar store expands Vivaia’s presence in the U.S. after forming wholesale partnerships with several major retailers including Nordstrom, Dillard’s and Von Maur.
Dive Insight:
Vivaia’s permanent move into New York follows several tests with pop-up shops in New York, Los Angeles and Paris. The company said it is exploring additional permanent stores, which it plans to open this year in the U.S., Asia and Europe.
“Opening our first permanent U.S. store in SoHo is a strategic move to meet our customers’ desire for in-person shopping experiences,” Marina Chen, co-founder of Vivaia, said in an email. “Despite challenges in the retail sector, the high demand for Vivaia’s comfortable, stylish, and eco-friendly footwear, demonstrated by our successful pop-ups in New York and Los Angeles, makes this the right time to establish a permanent presence.”
Vivaia is expanding both with stores as well as wholesale partnerships. The footwear brand is seeking out additional partnerships with retailers beyond the major department stores it already works with.
Vivaia’s brick-and-mortar ambitions come as other retailers are shuttering stores. According to a Coresight Research report in January, some 15,000 U.S. stores could close this year, while about 5,800 stores could open. Within the DTC space specifically, Allbirds has been working to reduce its footprint as it undergoes a turnaround.
Vivaia launched its first brand campaign in March of 2024, playing off the themes of International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month to promote its suite of ballet flats and celebrate womanhood.