Good American Setting Up First Retail Store in Los Angeles
Six years ago, Emma Grede and Khloé Kardashian set out to create a denim brand that appealed to women of all sizes.
With their Good American label now well established, they are embarking on their next journey — setting up a brick-and-mortar store that could be one of many.
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“This has been in the planning for a long time,” said Grede, chief executive officer and cofounder of the label. “We were planning to open retail just as the world shifted and COVID-19 kicked in. So we’re very, very lucky to have avoided signing any leases just before that. We’ve really just been waiting until the time felt right.”
The 3,800-square-foot location, next to a Bloomingdale’s store inside the upscale Westfield Century City outdoor shopping mall, will be open sometime early next year as the company winds its way through the city permitting process.
But the plan is to have a retail outpost with wraparound windows, tall ceilings and an event space to host talks and seminars to build a community among Good American customers. Talks could be about how to sign up to vote, where to get information about abortion access, how to start a business or tips on female empowerment. “Shoppers can find like-minded people and feel inspired,” Grede said.
There will also be larger-than-normal dressing rooms so women have enough room to get in and out of clothes and can step back from the mirror to get a full look of their outfit.
About 50 percent of the merchandise will be in denim and the rest will be in other categories. “We will have a heavy denim category and other things we know customers want. Swim is a big part of that,” Grede said.
With the first store in the works, Good American is thinking about establishing two more in the second quarter of 2023. Both stores will be in Southern California so the Good American team can monitor and analyze what is working and what needs to be improved.
“You know, I have worked in stores from the time I was 15 through the age of 22, and you want to be able to really learn from being on the shop floor,” Grede said. “Proximity is everything.”
Future stores may be in A-list malls, destination sites or bespoke locations, depending on the city and the customer base.
Good American was founded as a denim brand with the goal of serving women of all sizes. Those sizes range from 00 to 24. Since then, it has expanded into all sorts of apparel as well as swimwear, introduced in 2020, which is the second bestselling category.
Denim starts at $99 and goes up to $200. A black blazer retails or $169, a terry crop T-shirt for $60 and a long-sleeve knit maxidress for $130. “We’re trying to cater to as many women as possible,” Grede said. “We want to get them in and out with a full outfit for $150.”
Grede, who knew the Kardashians from her days working as an influencer marketer and as founder of the ITM Worldwide agency, approached Khloé Kardashian about starting a clothing company, and she signed on.
In 2019, Grede’s Swedish husband, Jens Grede, a cofounder of denim label Frame, cofounded Skims with Kim Kardashian.
Between the two, Skims and Good American are expected to generate hundreds of millions of dollars in annual revenues. Skims recently raised $240 million in a Series B funding round led by Lone Pine Capital. Skims is said to be on track to generate $400 million in sales this year, up from $275 million last year. Its valuation is now at $3.2 billion.
Good American is expected to generate about $200 million in revenue this year and grow next year with the new retail stores.
