The Los Angeles activewear brand opened its first German store in Berlin on Oct. 15, one day before its Hong Kong grand opening. Both events leaned on wellness programming, and both feed the case for international demand ahead of any IPO or sale.
Alo has opened its first German store, a two-floor flagship in Berlin that takes the Los Angeles-based activewear brand into Europe’s largest economy. The 557-square-meter (6,000-square-foot) store at Münzstraße 21–23, in Mitte’s Hackescher Markt area, opened Oct. 15. It sells women’s and men’s apparel, footwear, accessories and bags.
Berlin is the first of five planned German stores. In July, Alo was hiring for locations on premium shopping streets in Berlin, Hamburg, Düsseldorf, Cologne and Munich. Düsseldorf’s Königsallee is expected to be next. “We are entering with a long-term mindset,” said Benedetta Petruzzo, Alo’s international CEO. Petruzzo joined in January after serving as managing director at Christian Dior Couture.
Visualizza questo post su Instagram
The launch emphasized programming as much as product. Alo’s October calendar included Pilates, yoga, running and cycling sessions across Berlin, including a candlelit yoga class at the Tempodrom on Oct. 11. Opening night centered on wellness rather than shopping, with reiki, tarot readings, ear seeding and acroyoga. DJ Peggy Gou, model Toni Garrn and creator Jacob Rott attended. The evening ended with a private dinner at yakitori restaurant Stoke, Highsnobiety reported.
Visualizza questo post su Instagram
The Berlin debut came in the same week as Alo’s official grand opening at Hong Kong’s K11 Musea on Oct. 16. The two-level, 7,000-square-foot store is Alo’s first in Greater China. It soft-opened Sept. 25 and generated nearly HK$20 million ($2.6 million) in sales during its first week, the South China Morning Post reported. That was the mall’s highest first-week sales for a new tenant outside the jewelry and watch categories.
Visualizza questo post su Instagram
The two flagship openings, on different continents just days apart, offer evidence that Alo’s premium pricing can travel: an important proof point if its owners pursue a listing. In May, the parent company agreed to sell its wholesale sister business, Bella+Canvas. Analysts cited by Reuters said the sale removed an obstacle to an IPO or another deal.
