Stance to open first store outside of the US in Covent Garden, London

The Mercers’ Company has announced that fast growing “premium basic” apparel brand, Stance, will be launching their first bricks and mortar store outside of the US at 3 Neal Street in early-November.

The brand will take a 2,004 sq ft unit spanning two floors, with the ground floor utilised for retail purposes and the basement level transformed into a gallery and event space due to open early in 2019. The store will be designed by an in-house team with artwork created by global athletes.

Embracing “The Uncommon Thread” as its mantra, Stance will be showcasing its popular range of products including socks, underwear and the launch of their duel-gender t-shirt range. The brand’s superior basics serve as canvases for self-expression and can be found in over 60 countries, with ten stores across America, and plans to expand their global bricks and mortar footprint.

Founded in California, Stance has amassed over 1.5 million followers on Instagram, is represented by 50 household names, including contributing creative director, Rihanna, English Rugby star, Billy Vunipola and NBA star, James Harden, with the brand being the official sock of the NBA. Stance pride themselves on being on the feet of those who dare to be different.

Shadé Fadiora, The Mercers’ Company Asset Manager said: “Stance is a remarkable brand with an impressive success story and they will be a great addition to the Mercers’ retail estate. Their decision to launch their UK debut out of the US at this location confirms that Neal Street and the surrounding area of Covent Garden is one of the top retail destinations in the capital, and indeed the UK.” 

Paul Zaengle, Director of Retail at Stance commented: “The UK is the obvious next step for us and we can’t wait to bring our retail experience to loyal customers there and introduce the brand to new ones,” said Paul Zaengle, Stance’s Executive Vice President of Retail. “With 44 million visitors to Covent Garden each year, Neal Street is the ideal location for Stance’s debut international location and we can’t wait to plant deeper roots on English soil.”

The announcement of Stance follows a string of recent leasing activity for The Mercers’ Company, including the UK’s leading specialist retailer of maps, Stanfords, who will be relocating for the first time since 1901 to 7 Mercer Walk. In addition, luxury and sustainable footwear brand, Allbirds, also opened their debut European store at 121-123 Long Acre earlier this month.

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For further information, please contact Amy Cassidy and Yasemin Kiani at Aver via: amycassidy@aver.uk.com or yaseminkiani@aver.uk.com

Notes to Editors

About The Mercers’ Company

The Mercers’ Company is a nearly 700 year old City of London Livery Company and is first in the order of precedence. The Company, and its associated charitable trusts, make substantial grants to support young people, education, older people, churches and communities, predominantly funded through a large property portfolio, located in the City of London, and in Covent Garden in the West End of London, including a Joint Venture with Shaftesbury PLC for St Martins Courtyard.

A network of almshouses and other homes for the elderly are also managed by the charitable trusts associated with the Company. The Company is involved with the running of 16 schools  across the country and supports them primarily through the appointment of governors.

About Stance

Embracing “The Uncommon Thread” as its mantra, Stance took one of the world’s most boring apparel categories and turned it into one of the most exciting in just a few short years. Stance’s founders saw a category that had been ignored, taken for granted, and dismissed. By breathing life into something that had been overlooked, Stance ignited a movement of self-expression and innovation that has now extended into its men’s underwear, women’s intimates, and dual-gender t-shirt collections. Stance’s complete offering of superior basics serve as canvases for self-expression, and can now be found in over 60 countries on those who are comfortable being uncommon. 

The backstory

As people began taking notice of how Stance was turning the sock category on its head through art and design on the fashion side, the company’s relentless focus on innovation and material science began to earn it major recognition in the performance and sports worlds as well. Stance’s eight-year journey is marked with impressive milestones and multiple firsts for any brand, regardless of industry.

On the fashion and lifestyle side, Stance has released an impressive list of projects and collaborations, including having Rihanna as a contributing creative director, and collaborations with brands like Maharishi, Neighborhood Japan, Libertine, New Balance, and Modernica. Additionally, projects with legendary cultural influences like Mark Gonzalez, TDE, and artists like Kevin Lyons and Mister Cartoon, provide a glimpse into the work that has made the brand a go-to choice for original thinkers and creatives.

On the performance and sports side, Stance was the first brand to have its logo appear on any piece of the NBA’s official uniform. It was named the league’s on-court sock for the 2015 and 2016 seasons, and was worn in every game by every player in the league for those two seasons, and is still designated as the official casual sock of the NBA. A year after Stance made its mark in the NBA, the brand was chosen as the official sock of Major League Baseball, and is currently worn on-field by every team in MLB.

Throughout its eight years, and because of its uncommon approach, the company has drawn an iconic group of personalities to its roster of ‘Punks & Poets,’ including RunDem founder, Charlie Dark, NBA legends and future legends Allen Iverson, Dwyane Wade and James Harden, two-time Masters Champion Bubba Watson, world-renowned mountaineer and photographer Jimmy Chin, back-to-back World Surf League Champion John John Florence, Transworld Rider of the Year Louif Paradis, and US track-and-field pioneer Lauren Fleshman.

 To learn more about Stance, visit www.stance.com, or follow @stanceeurope on Instagram or @stance on Facebook.