Supreme’s Sunset Boulevard store marks a new chapter for the brand in Los Angeles, after moving from its long-time home on Fairfax.
Supreme’s new store, at 8801 Sunset Blvd., totals more than 8,600 square feet and relocates the skate—turned streetwear turned fashion brand— to a block where nearby neighbors include the Whisky a Go Go and Roxy Theatre.
The move ends nearly two decades for Supreme on Fairfax Boulevard, often referred to as the mecca for streetwear, and home to The Hundreds, Diamond Supply Co., AAPE, RIPNDIP and Dolls Kill.
The West Hollywood store follows the opening of new stores in Berlin and Milan in 2021. Last year saw a new Chicago store, the brand’s first U.S. opening in several years, and renovations of the brand’s Harajuku location. Supreme entered Dover Street Market in Beijing with a shop-in-shop concept, also in 2022.
Expanding brand access was a big part of the Supreme strategy under former VF President and CEO Steve Rendle. The executive orchestrated and oversaw the brand’s $2.1 billion acquisition in 2020. He parted ways with VF in December.
VF cited Rendle’s decision to retire as reason for the abrupt executive moves that placed independent director Benno Dorer in the interim president and CEO position, while a search continues for a permanent replacement.
Supreme’s Store Strategy
Dorer and VF offered few details on Supreme earlier this month in a call with analysts detailing the quarter ended Dec. 31, outside of citing its growth potential in China.
VF didn’t offer details on how Supreme performed in the December quarter.
The last time Supreme was discussed in any depth was when Rendle said the business grew revenue by 7 percent in the quarter ended Oct. 1. Collaborations with Yohji Yamamoto, Nike ACG and Andre 3000 helped drive that performance, he said.
Rendle reported “strong [Supreme] foot traffic in all regions, with Japan showing particularly good trends leading into the reopening of tourism.”
The former CEO noted a retooling of the product assortment and allocations for “key styles” when he said Supreme achieved the “right assortment at the right time” in the second half of 2022.
Rendle described Supreme’s physical store strategy as one aimed at providing “better and better access” to Supreme.
Added Executive Vice President and CFO Matt Puckett during that same October analyst call: “…the long-term growth plan is best categorized as a grow-wide strategy, giving more consumers access to this brand. And, that really speaks to geographic expansion.”
Puckett went on to stress the strategy would still respect the “scarcity” model that built the Supreme business and growth is not about flooding markets where the brand has a presence.
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