Rhone is revamping its retail fleet.
The Connecticut-based brand has more than doubled the size of its store at Hudson Yards and unveiled a new design created in partnership with TPG Architecture. The update is softer than the brand’s former industrial aesthetic and shines a light on the company’s rapidly growing women’s collection.
Hudson Yards was the first store Rhone opened in 2019. It was just under 1,000 square feet and it is now 2,396 square feet. The store is on the second floor, near Suitsupply, Mack Weldon, Stance and AG.
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Rhone started out as a men’s performance brand in 2014 and over the years has expanded into a full lifestyle collection. It created its first women’s capsule in 2020 and three years later introduced a full collection of sport and lifestyle pieces.
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At the same time, the company also began rolling out stores. It currently operates 20 units around the country with another two in the pipeline for later this year, in Lincoln Park in Chicago, its first in the city proper, and Suburban Square in Ardmore, Pa. The Chicago unit is slated for an October opening and the Pennsylvania store is expected to open right before Black Friday, said Chrissy Jackson, head of retail for Rhone.
Other recent openings include Palmer Square in Princeton, N.J.; Tampa, Fla., and the company’s first outlet in Wrentham, Mass., outside Boston.
Because the brand is named after the Rhone River in France and Switzerland, the new design includes details meant to evoke thoughts of water such as a wavy cash wrap desk that is based on the concept of water cutting through stone, and the use of river rocks in displays throughout the space, according to Christina Faley, managing associate and studio director for TPG.
“There’s a tie-in to nature that was lacking in the prior design,” she said.
There are deep green accents in the store as well, which are intended to “bridge the gap between the digital and physical,” Faley said. Rhone uses the same color on its website. And its captain’s stitch, which is used as the logo on every garment, was recreated as a design element above the cash register as well as embedded into a mosaic tile at the entrance to the store. There is also a wall that explains the origin of the stitch that reads: “Subtle, yet significant. This signature speaks to our core — unity in purpose, resilience in motion and the pursuit of progress, together.”
Jackson said that in addition to highlighting women’s, the new design helps “bring the brand to life.” Because the original space was so small, it was very difficult to showcase the brand’s offering. “The product was just hanging and there was no real table space,” she said. “So this is not only invites women in, but also offers the opportunity to touch and feel the product and tell a full-on story.”
And so far so good. Since the expanded Hudson Yards store opened a couple of weeks ago, conversion has increased five-fold, Jackson said.
The new design will be used in the units set to open later this year and details can be incorporated into the existing fleet, the company said. Jackson said the firm is still having conversations about retrofitting the existing fleet. That includes the company’s Flatiron store in Manhattan, which Jackson said is the top volume producer, despite its small size, which is around 1,500 square feet.
In the past 11 years, Rhone has experienced consistent growth as it expanded its product offering and retail presence. In 2023, the company closed a series D round of financing through a special purpose vehicle fund, with management and a select group of investors — including former players Tim Tebow and Steve Young — buying back a minority stake L Catterton had purchased in 2017.
The amount of the 2023 investment wasn’t revealed, but half of the funds came from seven owners of professional sports teams in the MLB, MLS and EPL, the company said. In addition to Tebow and Young, other investors included Blackstone executive David Blitzer, former hedge fund manager Gabe Plotkin and Larry Miller Group. Prior investors have included Justin Tuck and Troy Aikman. Family members of chief executive officer Nate Checketts are also part of the investment team that has helped fund its expansion.
Jackson said the stores have posted positive comparable-store sales and all the new locations are performing above plan. Women’s represents about 20 percent of overall business in the brick-and-mortar sites and around 30 percent online. The men’s business also remains strong, she said.
The brand has overall sales of around $100 million.