Benetton to ‘pop-up’ in return to U.S. retail

The United Colors of Benetton is making its first foray into the U.S. retail scene after more than a two-year absence.

The Italian clothing brand, known for its strong use of color and controversial advertising campaigns, will open a pop-up at Santa Monica Place, Santa Monica, Calif., on Oct. 25. It will be Benetton’s first physical store in the U.S. since 2014, when it began closing all its 60 U.S. locations. 

The temporary shop, which will close on Nov. 24, will be based on an omnichannel model, with no stock. All purchases will be made online.

"With the exception of the clothing on display, the Santa Monica pop-up will operate without any inventory," said Andrea Rossetto, Benetton's U.S. representative. "Customers will be able to try on and interact with the clothing, but then all purchases will be made through the in-store online portal and shipped directly to the customers' home.”

Benetton, an early advocate of sustainability, said the omnichannel store model will “eliminate waste and allow for a seamless brand experience.” 

The opening of the pop-up, which is designed to reflect the brand’s creative DNA and colorful spirit, comes approximately one month after Benetton relaunched its e-commerce platform in the U.S. Executive chairman Luciano Benetton, who returned to the family-owned company last year to lead turnaround effort, recently noted that the brand is considering re-opening stores on a more permanent basis in the U.S. 

Benetton Group, which operates the United Colors of Benetton and the Sisley brands, has a network of about 5,000 stores globally.  Most recently, United Colors of Benetton pledged that by 2025, 100% of the cotton used by Benetton will be sustainable, wither organic, recycled or sourced from Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) farmers.