Mango in the U.S., What’s Ahead
Mango, the Spanish fashion retailer with a contemporary flare and global distribution, is taking some big steps to further its U.S distribution.
Among them is the opening of a flagship on Fifth Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, and a partnership with Nordstrom, which will soon kick in. Nordstrom plans to launch Mango on Nordstrom.com within the next couple of months.
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The Mango flagship, located at 711 Fifth Avenue on the site of Ralph Lauren’s former Polo store, will encompass 22,600 square feet over three levels and will display women’s, men’s and kids’ lines, and is expected to debut sometime during the first half of this year, Mango told WWD.
“The opening of the new flagship store on Fifth Avenue is a major landmark for Mango in its omnichannel development strategy in the United States. Having a store of these characteristics in one of the most prestigious locations and with the biggest footfall in the continent will allow us to increase our brand recognition, both in the American market and internationally,” Daniel López, Mango’s director of expansion and franchises, said in a statement.
The flagship will be Mango’s ninth retail location in the U.S. The company’s U.S. expansion plan includes a partnership with the Simon Property Group, which opened Mango stores in its Menlo Park, N.J.; Roosevelt Field, N.Y., and Dadeland, Miami shopping centers, as previously reported.
Mango also has stores in Manhattan’s SoHo neighborhood and in the American Dream mega retail and entertainment complex in East Rutherford, N.J., and shops inside three Macy’s department stores.
Nordstrom is expected to soon distribute Mango products. Since August 2019, Macy’s has been selling Mango products in a few stores and online. Back in 2010, J.C. Penney Co. staged a big rollout of Mango shops called MNG by Mango but the 450 Mango shops failed to resonate with Penney’s customers and they were all closed by February 2016.
The upcoming Fifth Avenue flagship incorporates Mango’s “New Med” concept, launched in 2021, configuring the space as if it were a Mediterranean home designed with arches to separate different areas. It will have four large windows on Fifth affording natural light and views into the interior, terraces on the upper floors and reclaimed wood floors.
The New Med concept is environmentally conscious and focused on sustainability and energy efficiency. Stores are rigged with energy-efficient lighting, temperature control, as well as a design that incorporates sustainable materials such as natural paint. Mango is also involved in collecting used clothing and footwear for their reuse, recycling and energy assessment. New Med also incorporates concierge stations, where the store staff can deal with any customer questions or issues, as well as more spacious fitting rooms and cash desks on all floors, and large click-and-collect areas.
Mango has been getting deeper into analytics and “deep learning” technology, combined with RFID technology, to supply data to store staff so they can better manage inventory.
The 711 Fifth Avenue building, owned by the Shvo real estate firm, is historic, dating back to 1927 when construction was completed. It previously served as the headquarters of major companies including NBC, Columbia Pictures and Coca-Cola. A portion of the building houses the Polo Bar, Ralph Lauren’s restaurant and bar, on the ground floor and lower level with an entrance on 55th Street. The Core Club, a private club with affluent members, in late December inked a long-term lease for four levels at 711 Fifth Avenue. The building has a total of 56,000 square feet.
Since Shvo acquired the building in September 2019, there has been some redesign and reimagining of the space by architect and famed store designer Peter Marino.
Mango, founded in Barcelona in 1984, has a presence in more than 110 countries. The company generated revenues of more than 1.84 billion euros in pandemic-impacted 2020. Forty-two percent of the revenues were generated online.
