Vivaia is putting down roots in London as the eco-friendly footwear brand opens its first U.K. retail store.
Located inside the Westfield London shopping center, the new store was a “natural choice” for Vivaia as the company noted that London surpassed New York as its top performing city in terms of sales in 2024.
Vivaia’s London store spotlights its latest launch, the “Sneakerina” – a lace-up derby flat silhouette with a triple-layer sole, foldable design and interchangeable laces. Since its launch, the company has sold more than 15,000 pairs of its Sneakerina in just two months, Vivaia noted.
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The store will also showcase a special embroidered Cavalier King Charles Loafer, inspired by the beloved British spaniel and exclusive to the U.K. market.
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Jeff Chan, co-founder of Vivaia, told FN that he is excited to grow the company’s retail footprint and build deeper connections with its community in London.
“We see significant long-term potential in the U.K., especially as London continues to attract quality-driven and eco-conscious consumers,” Chan said. “It’s a market that values comfort, craftsmanship, and purpose – principles at the heart of Vivaia.”
Since launching in 2020 as a DTC brand by footwear industry veteran Marina Chen and Chan, Vivaia has seen rapid growth, with a major footprint also in Asia.
In March, the company opened its first U.S. retail store in New York City’s SoHo neighborhood after a series of pop-up shops in Paris, L.A. and NYC.
“We know that the digitally native brands face headwinds from rising costs of acquisition,” Howard Herman, general manager of Vivaia told FN in March. “And there’s a thought that you need to be wherever the consumer wants to buy product, and they very much want to be in physical environments again.”
The goal is to meet customers, research, and collect data, continued Herman, adding that the business saw double digit growth from 2023 to 2024. Total sales last year were just under $200 million.
The company has also expanded its wholesale distribution, too. Vivaia has landed on the shelves at Dillard’s, Von Maur and online at Nordstrom, with goal to continue to bolster that strategy.