Clarks has landed at the American Dream mega-mall in East Rutherford, N.J.
The new 2,300-sq.-ft. store marks the first full-price location the Massachusetts-based footwear brand has opened in the U.S. in three years.
According to Gary Champion, president of Clarks Americas, the new opening marks a turning point for the brand. “This store marks a turning point for us as a brand and for the Americas as a region, as we look to expand into new cities across the U.S. and Canada,” Champion told FN in an exclusive interview. “We are confident that when people interact with our product in person, they will see why these styles have remained iconic over the years.”
Asked why the company chose to open at American Dream, Champion said that the retail destination’s range of experiences and entertainment represents what customers want and expect from malls today.
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“As we look to build out retail experiences for the world ahead, we feel this location allows us to be in a place where customers are going to visit multiple times throughout the year,” Champion added. “We want new customers to come into the store and really interact with new launches and lines, giving them the full brand experience.”
As for what’s offered at the store, the brand will showcase a wide range of inline product for adults and kids along with a special wall dedicated to its Clarks Originals line including signature Desert Boot and Wallabee styles in classic and seasonal colors and patterns.
The space will also house a premium offering including limited edition collections and collaborations as well as serve as a testing ground for new digital and marketing technologies in the coming months and years.
And while this may mark the first U.S. shop in three years, Clarks’ global chief marketing and digital officer Tara McRae told FN that the brand has opened two new shop concepts for Clarks Originals in Tokyo and Osaka, Japan in the past two months with another opening soon in England.
“For the U.S., while we can’t share anything officially right now, we are always looking to engage consumers IRL and get the physical product into their hands so they can touch and feel the craftsmanship our brand has always been known for – so definitely expect a lot more from us in the U.S. in the coming years in relation to new store locations and concepts,” McRae said.
When asked what the future of Clarks in-store retail look like, McRae teased that we should keep our eyes peeled. “We are working on a lot internally for the future of physical retail, digital retail, metaverse retail and more,” she said. “We are designing our new footprints and design concepts to suit the needs of ‘the world ahead,’ as our brand mantra would state. More to come and this is only the beginning.”
