Rodd & Gunn, a New Zealand-based men’s wear brand, will open its second U.S. store in New York City in March.
The 3,200-square-foot store at 81 Front Street in the DUMBO section of Brooklyn joins a flagship that opened in Fashion Island in Newport Beach, Calif., in October.
Rodd & Gunn operates 85 stores in New Zealand and Australia, but entered the American market as a wholesaler.
Asked why the brand chose Brooklyn instead of Manhattan for its East Coast debut, Mike Beagley, chief executive officer, said, “We weren’t really looking at opening on the East Coast, but this opportunity came up and we thought it was a great way of commencing in New York quickly. It is an amazing building in an iconic location that we believe is an emerging retail and lifestyle area of Brooklyn – incredibly high average household income and literally a stone’s throw from Wall Street.”
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He said the California store has performed “exceptionally well and we are really happy in how the Newport Beach community has embraced us. We are trading well above plan and selling all of our categories from hand-made in New Zealand luggage to outerwear and footwear.”
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Beagley said the plan calls for opening eight to 10 additional U.S. stores by the end of 2018, including “exciting locations in SoCal and Dallas. We are going to be selective in what we do and take it relatively slowly.”
Stores will be added in San Diego and Los Angeles in the third quarter of this year, he said, and Dallas will open at the end of next year.
The Brooklyn store will sell the brand’s tailored shirts, knitwear, pants, denim and leather accessories. The official opening date is March 8.
Based in Auckland, New Zealand, Rodd & Gunn primarily offers men’s apparel and accessories that use yarns, fabrics and leathers in their purest state with a design aesthetic based on the New Zealand outdoors.