Cos to Launch at Nordstrom Next Month as It Expands Into Wholesale for First Time
Cos is expanding into wholesale for the first time in its 15-year history.
On Thursday, the H&M Group-owned fashion brand announced it would team up with Nordstrom in the U.S., Breuninger in Germany and Yoox online globally for the fall ’22 selling season.
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The company said in a statement that this expansion marks the next step in the brand’s growth strategy. “Making Cos available on more channels supports the aim to ‘meet the customers where they are’ and continue to build greater brand awareness,” the company noted in a release on Thursday. It went on to state that this launch will provide “great potential” for further growth if proven successful.
Lea Rytz Goldman, managing director at Cos, said in a statement that expanding into wholesale has been “in discussion for a while,” but now felt like the right time. “We know the retail landscape is changing and we need to meet our customers — new and existing — beyond our owned channels, by partnering with best-in-class multi-brand retailers who complement our DNA,” Goldman said. “This will enable us to engage and inspire customers in more places.”
Courtesy of Cos
As for the brand’s debut at Nordstrom, Cos said that the partnership will launch its men’s and women’s collections at the retailer’s 57th Street flagship stores in New York City following its New York Fashion Week debut in September. The label will also be available at Nordstrom stores in Westchester and Roosevelt Field, N.Y.; as well as in Paramus, N.J.
FN has reached out to Nordstrom for comment.
Nordstrom’s new Cos deal is in keeping with the Seattle-based retailer’s focus on evolving its merchandising model. On its first quarter earnings call in May, president and chief brand officer Pete Nordstrom said that the company aims to improve customers’ choices while increasing relevance. Known internally as “alternative partnership models,” the segment represented 12% of Nordstrom banner GMV in the first quarter as it aims to continue to provide newness and selection by partnering with brands in new ways, beyond the legacy wholesale model.
One recent “alternative” partnership for Nordstrom is its expanded deal with Asos. In May, Nordstrom opened a two-story, 20,000-square-foot Asos x Nordstrom shop at The Grove in L.A. with experiential elements and relevant brands. This opening followed the rollout of the brand in 10 Nordstrom stores, including Nordstrom NYC, Nordstrom Men’s Store NYC, Nordstrom Michigan Avenue, Nordstrom Aventura and Nordstrom Scottsdale Fashion Square.
The retailer has also further committed to its partnership with Allbirds. In May, Nordstrom announced that Allbirds would be offered in 14 of its stores around the country. Some of the stores receiving the line included locations in New York City; Downtown Seattle; Palo Alto, Calif.; Century City in L.A.; the Houston Galleria; and Tysons Corner Center in Tysons Corner, Va.
Earlier this month, Nordstrom teamed up with Allbirds again with a five-week Center Stage pop-up at the department store’s New York flagship.
Cos first opened on London’s Regent Street in 2007, followed by the launch of its online store in 2011. The fashion brand has since grown to 267 owned stores, spanning 47 physical markets and 38 online markets.
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