EXCLUSIVE: Cos Entering Mexico
The H&M Group-owned fashion brand Cos is entering Mexico.
The London-based men’s and women’s business will open a flagship in Mexico City in the summer of 2023, marking the brand’s first presence in the country and a wider strategy to scale the business globally through new markets.
More from WWD
Located in the open-air Antara shopping mall in Polanco, the 1,594-square-foot space will represent the brand’s new, more sustainable store design concept, and will carry the full range of men’s and women’s, minimalist-minded clothing and accessories.
“We are constantly exploring new countries and locations to expand the Cos brand and long-term see potential for locations across the Americas. Mexico feels like the logical next step for us and provides us with a gateway for future growth across the region,” Katie Reeves, managing director of Cos North America, told WWD.
The location will open with the summer 2023 collection of elevated essentials designed to last more than one season. The brand’s environmental focus will also be reflected in the design of the store, which will have bamboo wardrobes, recycled acrylic vitrine display cases and a rail system made with recycled aluminum. The concept is designed to be maintained, repaired and repurposed.
“We knew we wanted to find a location in Mexico City and the Polanco neighborhood is one of the key locations the team and I visited last year,” Reeves said. “Our insights show that we have customers that frequent this area, which makes perfect sense based on the local cultural destinations, high-end design retailers and restaurants. Our brand culture is inspired by architecture, art and design intrinsic to global destinations like Mexico City. We believe securing a prime retail location in one of the most significant and important malls in the market will serve us well.”
Since its launch in London in 2007, Cos has expanded across Europe, Asia-Pacific, North America and the Middle East. Today the brand has a 264-store portfolio, spanning 48 physical markets, 39 online markets and select wholesale partners.
Unlike fast-fashion retailer H&M, which has struggled recently with lower-than-expected third-quarter sales, the group’s elevated Cos and Arket brands have been more resilient, according to analysts.
Cos focused attention on the North American market during New York Fashion Week in September, showing its fall collection to an audience that included Anderson .Paak, Angus Cloud and Emily Ratajkowski.
For the first time the brand introduced eveningwear, including a black plissé slipdress and a coin-shaped collage dress. Outerwear was also a strong focus, with a sleek leather trenchcoat from the new Cos Atelier collection carrying a $890 price tag, pushing the brand toward the contemporary fashion category.
“Our very first expansion into the American market was through a pop-up with Opening Ceremony in 2014, which was a great opportunity to test the market before we opened our first store in the United States in 2014, followed by our first store in Canada in 2015,” said Reeves. “North America is our youngest region, and we have a clear channel strategy for growth. It is a region with a lot of potential ahead.”
