First Look: Check out Rothy’s new Fifth Avenue flagship
Rothy’s continues to expand in brick-and-mortar.
The digitally native sustainable footwear and accessories brand has opened a flagship on Fifth Avenue, in the heart of Manhattan’s Flatiron District. It marks the sixth store Rothy’s has opened in the past three months. The company is planning to open at least two more stores by yearend, with upcoming locations at Broadway Plaza in Walnut Creek, Calif. and NorthPark Center in Dallas.
Since launching in 2016, more 179 million single-use plastic bottles have been transformed into Rothy’s signature thread, which is knit into all its products, and over 629,313 pounds of ocean-bound plastic have been kept out of waterways, the company said. With a vertically integrated supply chain, Rothy's minimizes waste by knitting each product to shape in its wholly-owned factory in Dongguan, China.
The approximate 2,000-sq.-ft. Fifth Avenue flagship is designed to reinforce the brand’s commitment to sustainability. In line with Rothy’s mission to reduce the use of single-use plastics and coinciding with Plastic Free July, the new location’s opening celebration included a streetside water refill station where customers could refill their usable bottles. Rothy’s is exploring ways to permanently install the station outside the store.
[READ MORE: Rothy’s names new CEO, president as co-founders step down from the roles]
The store interior features large-scale, upcycled art installations and creative storytelling that seeks to bring Rothy’s sustainability story to life. Specific elements include the use of Rothy’s hemp & rPET blend fabric panels in shelving units and two large art collaborations made of raw cotton and Rothy’s liability yarn threads. The company also made material-conscious choices, such as deciding not to use use resin as it is not recyclable.
With more than 3 million customers, Rothy's products are sold directly online and through its 23 retail stores. The company, which has a footprint in 19 countries, also has wholesale partnership with retailers that include Nordstrom and Amazon.