Vuori opens flagship store in London

Southern Californian performance lifestyle brand Vuori has opened its first international flagship store on Regent Street in London as it looks to strengthen its presence in the UK.

The 4,000 square foot store marks the brand’s first UK flagship and second London opening, following the successful opening of its Covent Garden store in 2022, and follows the addition of 20 new locations in the US this year.

Located at 83-85 Regent Street, the two-storey flagship store aims to offer a taste of California in the UK and its elevated activewear position, bucking the trends of traditional sports and leisure stores with a clean and contemporary aesthetic, featuring earthy, such as rock, soft quartz, concrete, washed oak and natural marble, as well as a custom skylight above a glass atrium full of live plants to promote the brand’s connection to the outdoors.

Joe Kudla, founder and chief executive of Vuori, said in a statement: "Vuori is all about connection and community, and our approach to retail locations is intrinsic to its success. We couldn’t be more excited to come to Regent Street and take our place on one of London’s most desirable and iconic shopping destinations.

“The experience we offer in our Vuori stores is not only authentic to who we are but it’s a key differentiator from our competitors, and we look forward to deepening our relationship with the local community here.”

Vuori continues retail expansion in the UK

Vuori hopes that the flagship with its subtle product zoning design to accentuate categories across leisure, active and lifestyle, and its overall aesthetic that it states “appeases both genders” will help inspire British consumers as well as differentiate itself from its competitors housed on Regent Street, including Swiss performance On, US athleisure brand Alo Yoga, Canadian brand Lululemon, British fitness brand Gymshark and Icelandic outerwear label 66 North.

The flagship also allows the brand to showcase its full range of men’s and women’s Vuori signature apparel, integrating fitness, yoga, surf, and life into everyday essentials. Vuori is also using the space to spotlight its innovative fabrications, such as DreamKnit the soft and comfortable brushed jersey fabric that is blended with four-way stretch and moisture-wicking performance qualities, and its recent product expansions, such as outerwear.

Vuori also adds that the larger space is in line with its retail strategy to offer “more than a space to purchase,” but also to connect with its community. The London flagship will be offering run clubs, fitness events, and “investment in happiness” days.

The brand was founded by former accountant Joe Kudla in 2015 and has established itself as a distributor in a crowded market, offering apparel and accessories that blur the line between fitness and life, offering fitness apparel, alongside more lifestyle-focused products, such as loungewear and travel collections.

In October 2021, the brand received a 400 million US dollar investment from SoftBank Vision Fund 2, valuing it at 4 billion US dollars, marking it as one of the largest investments in a private apparel company in the activewear market.

This has aided Vuori’s brand and retail expansion, with the London flagship opening following a successful year for the brand, which saw it expand into China, with two store openings this year and continued expansion in the US, where it currently has 70 stores.

Andy Lawrence, vice president of international at Vuori, also said that a third UK store is opening on the King’s Road in London, and the brand would like to be on Marylebone High Street, as well as in major cities, such as Manchester. The brand is also looking to Europe with plans to target growth on the continent with a store in Berlin, Germany.

Lawrence added: "We're only scratching the surface of Vuori's potential in Europe. By strategically planting seeds in key markets, we're creating deep, meaningful connections with our customers through a seamless omni-channel experience. This approach is laying the groundwork for sustained growth and long-term success.”

Vuori also has a curated wholesale business with stores, including luxury department stores Harrods, Selfridges and Nordstrom.