Dive Brief:
- Traditional sportswear retailer J.McLaughlin opened its second menswear only store last Thursday on trendy Worth Avenue in Palm Beach, Florida, per a release sent to Retail Dive.
- The 488 square-foot Palm Beach boutique is the third company store to open in the area. It offers a complete menswear experience and features an assortment of apparel and accessories including a new Holiday 2023 collection and resort styles such as linen shirts, novelty pants and shorts, sport coats and polos.
- While menswear currently represents “less than 10%” of the chain’s total revenue, the plan is to at least double that in the next 18 to 24 months as the retailer seeks to open more men’s stores, per the company.
Dive Insight:
J.McLaughlin tested a men’s only concept when it converted its Bridgehampton location on Long Island last August. That, in turn, led to the Palm Beach opening.
Launched as a menswear business by brothers Kevin McLaughlin and Jay McLaughlin in 1977, the retailer’s first store was on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. Seeing a better return on investment by emphasizing women’s fashions, J.McLaughlin soon pivoted to more of a women’s business. Today it has over 170 specialty stores across the country primarily in upscale neighborhoods and destination locations. Most of those stores do have smaller menswear collections.
“In the last year we have renewed our focus on the men’s business — evolving and re-energizing the product assortment to include work to weekend styles and exclusive novelty items,” said Kevin McLaughlin, co-founder and chief creative officer, in an email to Retail Dive. “Palm Beach has always been a strong market for us and the men that live there put a lot of thought into how they dress for everyday and social events. This was an opportunity to create a fresh menswear experience for the Palm Beach customer.”
J.McLaughlin executives see a void in the market for men who “aspire to look polished and presentable without dressing in a suit,” per the company. The ultimate intention is to offer that customer a work-to-weekend wardrobe.
Since expanding its men’s collection in 2021, J.McLaughlin has introduced new silhouettes, styling, colors and cuts. The retailer has also formed collaborations with Stubbs & Wootton handmade slippers and English shoemaker Sanders.
J. McLaughlin is headquartered in Brooklyn, New York. The company was acquired in 2015 by Brentwood Associates in partnership with management. Brentwood is a Los Angeles-based venture capital investment firm.
