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Australian Activewear brand Lorna Jane plans to open free-standing Canadian flagship locations. It’s a bold move for the company, considering that homegrown Canadian retailers Lululemon and Lolë are already fighting for local market share.
According to Women’s Wear Daily, Lorna Jane is looking to enter the Canadian market with flagships in Vancouver and Toronto. Stores would feature traditional retail as well as in-store workout studios and health food cafes. We’ll update this article when Lorna Jane reveals its first Canadian store locations, reportedly expected to open in the third or fourth quarter of 2015 or early 2016.
Photo: www.amgraphretail.com
Lorna Jane currently operates 204 free-standing retail locations. Of those, 23 opened in 2014. The company plans to open about 25 flagships globally in 2015 and into 2016, in cities such as London, Paris, Berlin, Singapore, New York City and Hong Kong. The brand currently operates 42 American locations in California, Arizona, Oregon, Nevada, Texas and Washington State. Of those locations, nine feature the brand’s ‘Active Living Room’ concept, featuring in-store workout spaces.
Lorna Jane will compete with Vancouver-based Lululemon, currently operating 53 Canadian locations in eight provinces. Montreal-based activewear brand Lolë also anticipates substantial Canadian growth, with plans to expand its current 17 locations to as many as 40 over the next several years.
Founded by Lorna Jane Clarkson in Brisbane in 1989, Lorna Jane retails women’s athletic clothing and related goods, including clothing and accessories. Designs are considered to be ‘fashion forward’ and each month, the brand releases between 70 and 100 new styles, according to its website. The company has three primary lines under the names Lorna Jane Originals, Uniquely Lorna Jane (higher-end, runway-inspired) and premium, performance-based LJ Black.
Thank you ACT7 of Urban Toronto for directing us to this Women’s Wear Daily article.
Today’s Retail News From Around The Web: March 20, 2015
