Vans, Inc. announced that the company's European flagship store, located at 47 Carnaby Street in London, will open on December 6 in the popular Carnaby Street shopping district. The 3,500 square foot store will feature men's and women's footwear, apparel and accessories and will be the only Vans store to carry the company's new high-end footwear collection, Vault.
The Carnaby Street store will open to the public just in time for the holidays on December 6 with a weekend-long opening with athlete appearances and demonstrations, band signings and other special events. Photos of the store and opening will be available.
“Carnaby Street's unique and long-standing position in the world of British street fashion makes it the ideal platform to showcase Vans products and heighten exposure for the VANS brand internationally,” said Gary H. Schoenfeld, President and Chief Executive Officer of Vans. “This store will offer shoppers the chance to experience Vans' nearly 40-year Southern California heritage while shopping in one of Europe's premier retail destinations.”
“The VANS brand has strong equity in Europe and will benefit from having a premier retail location capable of displaying the full breadth of our product,” said Steve Murray, Chief Marketing Officer and Senior Vice President of International Operations of Vans. “Due to it's own unique character and recent rejuvenation, Carnaby Street is the perfect location to connect the lifestyle we represent with London's vibrant fashion scene.”
The Carnaby store design evolved from current Vans stores with a refocus on Vans heritage and a utilization of wood, concrete and steel evoking the raw beauty — both natural and urban — of Southern California's surf, skate and youth lifestyle. The design cues communicate the key messages of creativity and self-expression through action sports and youth culture that constitute the Vans lifestyle. This will be Vans' first full-priced store in Europe as the company currently operates seven outlet stores in the United Kingdom, Austria, and Spain.
