The stores will be “warm, informal, and immersive,” says the company’s CEO

John Hardy plans to open a “limited number” of retail stores in “A-plus locations in key cities” on the heels of first store openings in Houston and New York City, CEO Robert Hanson told JCK.

“Assuming the first three or four are successful over the next couple of years, we would want to open a comparable number of stores domestically and in selected cities internationally,” he says.

The stores will attempt to be a 3-D representation of the line, he says.

“The world doesn’t need a lot more stores,” he says. “We are not focusing on becoming a large retailer. We just want to bring the brand to life in a boutique that is reminiscent of the powerful and inspiring DNA of the brand and the hospitality that you experience when you visit our workshop in Ubud, Bali.

“We think it will be a unique experience,” he continues. “John Hardy is a very warm brand. It is not very formal. A lot of luxury brands are very formal in how they deal with their clients. We want the experience to be warm, informal, and immersive.”

He admits there is always a debate when companies open their own stores.

“When it is purposeful, it builds confidence, it builds awareness, and it stands an extremely clear message as to the brand’s positioning in the marketplace,” he says. “I believe our national and independent accounts will see a positive effect.”

Hanson doesn’t expect any major day-to-day changes stemming from the merger of parent company L. Catterton with LVMH’s private equity arm, but adds, “It will give us access to the Asian and European markets and exceptional real estate that would have been difficult for John Hardy to realize on its own.”

(Photo courtesy of John Hardy)

Rob Bates

JCK News Director