“I don’t think retail is dead,” Blumenthal says.
Warby Parker plans to open 25 stores in 2017, Inc. reports.
The new locations will build on the eyewear company’s presence in key cities such as Philadelphia and Los Angeles.
Inc. notes that the plans come amid depressing times for some major retailers. Macy’s, for example, is shuttering dozens of stores and laying off thousands of people.
But the Wall Street Journal quotes Warby Parker Co-CEO Neil Blumenthal saying, “I don’t think retail is dead.”
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Rather, he said, “Mediocre retail experiences are dead.”
The new stores will be in addition to the 46 that Warby Parker already operates.
Blumenthal has said it’s possible his company will one day operate between 800 and 1,000 stores. The company made its mark as an e-commerce retailer but has since 2013 been opening physical stores.
Read more at Inc.
