Kitson Opens New Concept Store
Call it Kitson’s greatest-hits store.
The prominent Los Angeles–based retailer will expand a new boutique concept that will focus on retailing the best-selling items from its flagship California stores, ranging from Malibu to Newport Beach.
The first new concept store opened at the Westfield Century City retail center in Los Angeles’ Century City neighborhood earlier in August. A second location will open at the Hollywood & Highland Center in Los Angeles on Oct. 15. Another one is scheduled to open at the Tom Bradley International Terminal at Los Angeles International Airport in summer 2013, said Fraser Ross, founder of Kitson. He expects to open more of these stores in the future, along with opening larger Kitson flagship stores. There are currently 12 Kitson bricks-and-mortar stores in California.
While these stores will share the nameplate of the Kitson flagship stores on Robertson Boulevard in Los Angeles, they will have a smaller footprint, ranging from 1,000 to 1,500 square feet, Ross said.
“In smaller stores, you can put the best of the best of what we’ll carry, and there’s no sensory overload,” he said.
Currently, these stores carry bags by Rebecca Minkoff, Tom’s shoes, clothes from the Los Angeles–headquartered brand Wildfox, denim line Bleulab and Ray-Ban eyewear.
Ross got the idea for the new concept after opening the Kitson boutique at Terminal 7 of Los Angeles International Airport in April. With a smaller footprint than Ross’ flagship stores, the store was quickly successful. He forecast that the Terminal 7 store will make an estimated $2,500 per square foot by the end of this year.
In June, dollars per square foot averaged $442 in U.S. malls, according to the International Council of Shopping Centers.
“There is less risk,” Ross said. “The space is smaller, you have less inventory, but the sales per square foot is higher.”— Andrew Asch
