Sweaty Betty, a popular British activewear company, has debuted a 531-square-foot concession on the second floor of Bloomingdale's 59th Street New York store.
Simon Hill-Norton, chief executive officer of Sweaty Betty, told WWD that the Bloomingdale's expansion — which includes three large window displays on Lexington Ave — is "very exciting for us as a brand."
"It signifies [Bloomingdale's] intention to make some real progress with women's activewear. We were approached by Bloomingdale's a few years ago when they anticipated the growth of this sector and were keen to have us be the cornerstone of this area. They want to build a credible activewear department," Hill-Norton added.
Sweaty Betty will also set up a similar concession at Bloomingdale's in Short Hills, N.J.
The brand currently has two U.S. stores — one in Greenwich, Conn., and another in New York's SoHo neighborhood — but is in is in active discussions about further expansion, according to the brand's operating vice president and fashion director of ready-to-wear, Brooke Jaffe.
Sweaty Betty launched in 1998 and now has 16 stores in London and 21 more in the U.K.
"We'll continue opening stand-alone stores," Hill-Norton told WWD. "We have an online business and mail catalogues to the U.S., so we know where our customers are living. The most natural next location will be Los Angeles in the next year or so. We know we have customers on the Upper East Side and we're happy to serve them through Bloomingdale's."
Some Sweaty Betty stores even feature a yoga studio for customers to "stretch it out with the team."
"Our customer is looking for wearable, fun and performance-focused activewear for actual workouts as well for her daily life routine," Jaffe told WWD. "Sweaty Betty is a brand focused on this woman so there is a natural synergy."
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