Tyr is opening its first physical store this fall.
The Seal Beach, California-based swimwear brand has inked a deal to open a store in the Roosevelt Field Mall in Garden City, New York, this fall.
The 2,200-square-foot location will offer an assortment of the brand’s products highlighting men’s and women’s performance apparel and footwear.
“This will make up a vast majority of our floor and business because we know we have great demand for this product and feel it is the strongest representation of our brand moving forward,” said Joe Horton, senior director of retail and operations. “However, we are a full lifestyle athletic provider, so we will carry sunglasses, bags, apparel and performance accessories, as well as a small assortment of swimwear and swim accessories (i.e. goggles). We continue to carry kids’ products online only. In general, we will look to respond to the needs and demands of the customer when it comes to our in-store offerings.”
In addition to a traditional retail experience, the company will hold marketing events at the store hosted by Tyr partners and athletes. Key product launches will also be marketed in the space.
Horton said that although Tyr is based in California, it decided to open its first store in New York because its headquarters is located there and it is “where our product is conceptualized and designed. It’s also the hub for our ownership team. So, in this way, the store can serve as a testing ground that we can learn from and make key product and sales decisions for our business. Also, Roosevelt Field specifically is the largest and highest-traffic mall in New York and eighth biggest in the country, which gives the brand excellent exposure in a key market for us.”
Going forward, the company is planning to expand its retail footprint, although the number and location of additional stores is still undecided. “We don’t have a specific number of stores that we are set to open; however, we have an extensive list of cities where we know, based on current business in other channels, that our brand will work,” Horton said. “While we’ve had great interest already from many retail centers, we will be carefully analyzing all opportunities to see if they make sense for Tyr. Ideally, over the next five years, we would like to always have a new opening in process or on the horizon.”
Tyr chief executive officer Matt DiLorenzo said, “We’ve always been committed to providing our customers with the highest-quality performance apparel, and this store gives us the opportunity to offer our products in an exciting and interactive environment. We look forward to the national expansion of the brand in the retail community.”
Zachary Beloff, vice president of leasing at Simon Property Group, which owns Roosevelt Field, said Tyr joins other brands at the mall in the category such as Lululemon, Adidas, TravisMathew, Peloton and Dick’s Sporting Goods.
Tyr Sport was established in 1985 to provide the competitive swim market with technical swimwear. It now also offers lifestyle swimwear and accessories as well as swim equipment and footwear.