Dive Brief:

• Custom apparel retailer Indochino on Thursday announced its plans for 2022, which include expanding into womenswear, according to information sent to Retail Dive. 
• The company expects to surpass 100 locations next year, with plans to move into new markets in New Mexico, Kentucky and Alabama. Indochino currently has 79 locations in North America through standalone stores and a partnership with Nordstrom. 
• Indochino will increase its men's wedding apparel offerings by introducing more fabric options and products for grooms and groomsmen.

Dive Insight:

Indochino is taking its approach to affordable, made-to-measure apparel into the womenswear category next year.  

The company has considered introducing it for years and was already attracting a female demographic searching for a men's fit, but was waiting to "make sure that the timing was right" for the expansion, according to CEO Drew Green.

The brand, which was founded in 2007 as a pure-play e-commerce retailer, has been steadily increasing its physical showrooms over the past few years. It is a move that is similar to other DTC players as costs to acquire customers online can be prohibitively high, and stores act as a marketing vehicle for products and brand awareness.

Since opening its first showroom in 2015, Indochino has expanded its store footprint and pushed into new markets. But this year, the retailer made an even splashier move by bringing its custom apparel to 21 shop-in-shops in Nordstrom stores nationwide.

An additional focus for Indochino in the coming year is the wedding market, which the company anticipates to be the biggest year for weddings since 1984. The early pandemic hit the wedding industry hard, as it is traditionally a high-touch segment of retail.

Yet, a surge is expected next year: An estimated 2.5 million weddings are projected to take place with an average spend of $24,300, according to The Wedding Report.

"[T]he brand is looking to capitalize on the surge, with a goal to be widely recognized as the experts in men's wedding attire," Indochino said in its announcement. That means giving customers additional customization options and products, and the ability to design any suit fabric as a tuxedo.