Princess Polly opens first ever US store

While it is now one of the most popular online fashion retailers across Australia, New Zealand, and the United States, Princess Polly started as a Gold Coast bricks-and-mortar store back in 2005, migrating online in 2010 to get ahead of the ecommerce boom. Since moving to the online model, Princess Polly has remained exclusively pureplay for over a decade.

The women’s fashion retailer has now opened a store in Westfield Century City in Los Angeles. “Opening our first store in the U.S. is a monumental milestone for Princess Polly,” said Wez Bryett, co-founder and co-CEO of Princess Polly. “We’re confident the brand will thrive as a physical retailer and we look forward to seeing its growth potential come to fruition. Based on feedback from our loyal customers, Los Angeles is the ideal first location to establish our retail footprint in the U.S., and we’re excited to pair the seamless online Princess Polly experience that American shoppers have grown to love with the convenience of a brick-and-mortar store at Westfield Century City.”

The brand announced earlier this year that it would be kickstarting its omnichannel presence in the form of a wholesale partnership with American retail brand Pacsun, which saw a selection of its bestselling items available in 100 Pacsun stores across the States. Headed by major stakeholder AKA Brands, the expansion has now extended to its very own bricks and mortar store in Los Angeles, an expansion that AKA Brands interim CEO Ciaran Long says is just the beginning.

“Consumers in the U.S. will be able to explore and try on Princess Polly’s high-quality styles in person before purchasing for the first time, and we’re confident that the store will allow Princess Polly to forge deeper connections with existing and new customers,” Long said.

AKA Brands portfolio also boasts youth-focused clothing brands Culture Kings, Petal & Pup, Rebdolls, and mnml. According to AKA, these brands all share the same ideals: “customer-obsessed, digitally-focused, hyper-innovative and consciously responsible,” are are tied together by “a constant stream of inspirational content and trend-forward merchandise, and a community of passionate followers.” Princess Polly’s social media presence is a huge contributor to its success and US expansion, an area which AKA Brands excels in throughout its portfolio.

The new Los Angeles 3,370-square-foot retail space, which opened over the weekend, showcases approximately 200 on-trend Princess Polly styles at any given time and will “foster an immersive and interactive experience that goes well beyond shopping”, according to the brand. It brings its finely tuned digital presence to life with  a media wall, digital runway displays,  and personalised product recommendations. The store will host special events such as product launches, meet-and-greets with influencers, and styling workshops.

While no plans for an Aussie store launch has been announced, AKA Brands interim CEO Ciaran Long has implied this is just the beginning for the brand, “I look forward to watching the brand expand its retail footprint within the U.S. and in new markets across the globe,” said Long.