SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Athleta, a Gap Inc. (NYSE: GPS) brand, today announced it will introduce two outlet stores to its fleet this year, supporting its long-term growth goals.
Athleta’s new outlet stores will debut at Chicago Premium Outlets in Illinois this summer and Leesburg Premium Outlets in Virginia this fall, underscoring the brand’s commitment to open 30-40 new stores in its 2022 fiscal year.
Each outlet store will feature a curated assortment of Athleta’s premium performance and lifestyle product, including most-loved styles like the Salutation Stash Tight, Momentum Seamless Tank and Conscious Crop. The remaining outlet store assortment will offer customers unique value on existing high-quality and on-trend Athleta styles.
“As part of our long-term strategic growth plan, Athleta is investing in new access points to reach new customers, deliver new value to customers who already know and love our brand, and expand our community of empowered women and girls,” said Mary Beth Laughton, president and chief executive officer of Athleta. “Our new outlet stores are intentionally designed to stand out from traditional outlet and clearance store models, helping drive new customer acquisition and increased brand awareness for Athleta.”
Athleta will officially open its first outlet location, featuring more than 3,100 sq. ft. of dedicated retail space, at the Chicago Premium Outlets this summer. Its second location, a more than 3,300 sq. ft. store at the Leesburg Premium Outlets, will open this fall.
Athleta’s new outlet stores mark a growth milestone for the brand’s store footprint, which is on track to grow by 30-40 new stores by the end of the 2022 fiscal year.
To date, Athleta has added 12 new stores in North America in 2022, with new locations in:
- San Francisco, CA
- Southbury, CT
- Park Ridge, IL
- Lafayette, LA
- Cary, NC
- Chester, NJ
- Reno, NV
- Exton, PA
- Franklin, TN
- Riverton, UT
- Salt Lake City, UT
- Burlington, Ontario (Canada)
In June, Athleta underscored its commitment to international growth, confirming it will add four additional Canadian locations by the end of 2022. Athleta's Canadian entry has made a strong first impression with consumers, with the brand's new customer acquisition goal exceeding expectations by more than 40% in Q1 2022. The Canadian market remains a strategic growth priority for Athleta and the Gap Inc. portfolio of brands, which operates more than 250 stores in Canada.
To view all current Athleta store locations and hours, visit athleta.com/stores.
About Athleta:
A certified B Corporation, Athleta is a performance lifestyle brand with a mission of empowering a community of active women and girls. Athleta's versatile premium performance lifestyle apparel is designed by women for women with inclusivity at its core. Founded in 1998, Athleta integrates performance and technical features across its collection to support women across their entire lifestyle – from yoga and training to travel and sleep. In 2016, the company launched Athleta Girl mirroring its signature performance in styles for the next generation. Based in San Francisco, CA and a Gap Inc. brand (NYSE: GPS), Athleta apparel is available at its more than 230 company-operated stores across the United States and Canada, through its catalog, and at Athleta.com.
