Dive Brief:
- Fitness apparel brand Sweaty Betty recently opened its first two brick-and-mortar retail stores in the U.S., located in Chicago and Washington, D.C., per a news release.
- The 825-square-foot Chicago Southport store opened on Saturday, while the 750-square-foot D.C. boutique on M Street in Georgetown opened on Monday. The brand currently has shop-in-shop concessions with 45 Nordstrom stores and four Bloomingdale locations in the U.S., as well as five Nordstroms in Canada.
- London-based Sweaty Betty also announced the opening of two new U.K. stores, located in the Wales capital of Cardiff and at the Westfield London shopping mall. The brand now operates 85 stores in the U.K and Ireland, with additional locations in Hong Kong, Singapore, Germany and New Zealand.
Dive Insight:
Sweaty Betty is opening its first stand-alone stores in the U.S. as it expands its presence globally.
The new U.S. stores feature a selection of the brand’s activewear, which the company describes as “fusing feminine focused design and style with technical performance.” Products include the brand’s signature power leggings, breathable gym tops, a winter coat collection and a host of lifestyle apparel.
Melissa Mullen, global brand president of Sweaty Betty, said in an email that there is some crossover between its stand-alone store assortment and that of its wholesale accounts, but that each channel also has exclusive product, “ensuring a trip to either door is well worth it for our consumers.”
"We are thrilled to open these new locations in Chicago and D.C., which mark an exciting opportunity to connect with new communities and deepen our presence in key markets," Mullen said in a statement.
Founded in London in 1998 by Tamara and Simon Hill-Norton, Sweaty Betty was acquired by footwear retailer Wolverine World Wide in 2021 for about $410 million. Wolverine also owns Merrell and Saucony, and acquired Sweaty Betty to broaden its portfolio and play in the highly competitive active apparel space.
Sweaty Betty is coming off a positive Q3 that saw revenues increase by 3%. That shows improvement from Q2, which was flat and Q1 results that were down 4.8%. Wolverine’s overall revenue, meanwhile, declined 34% in the first quarter, another 27.8% in Q2 and 16.6% year over year in Q3 as it continues its restructuring plan that was announced at the end of 2023.
As part of its restructuring plan, Wolverine trimmed its Sweaty Betty workforce in London last year as it moved the brand into the company’s International Group, where its other brands outside of the U.S. sit.
