Gap Inc. will open its first Athleta stores in Southern California. The two locations will open in Southland this fall, at the Grove shopping center in L.A.’s Fairfax district and at Fashion Island in Newport Beach. Two New York City stores are also slated to open in the summer.
The two New York stores will open on the Upper West Side and Upper East Side.
Athleta opened its first two retail locations in the last year, both in Northern California. The Gap Inc. said during its first-quarter conference call that Athleta will open between 8 and 10 stores in 2011. It also noted that its new flagship opened in San Francisco was performing ahead of its expectations.
The company plans to open 50 Athleta stores by 2013 and is scouting potential locations in traditional malls, street-level areas and open-air centers.
