Express on steroids, takes on Times Square

Pop star Robin Thicke will help Express commemorate the grand opening of what promises to be a stunning 28,000-sq.-ft. flagship location in New York’s Times Square on March 25.

The fashion forward operator of more than 600 predominantly mall-based stores is looking to make a splash with the Times Square location company chairman and CEO Michael Weiss billed as “Express on steroids.”

"This is an elevated presentation where the homes for each category are much more defined,” Weiss said of the three level store. “Our billboard, with 9,000 square feet of LED, is the biggest and highest-definition billboard in the whole of Times Square. You know nobody whispers in Times Square, they shout. And if you're going to shout, you'd better be the loudest."

Helping Express make some noise will be Robin Thicke, an entertainer best known of late for participating in a raunchy performance at the MTV music awards with Miley Cyrus. Thicke will perform live at the store beginning at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, March 25. The performance will be live streamed on the Express digital billboards outside the store.

The four hour grand opening event will also feature a mobile-based "scratch and win" sweepstakes in which all event attendees are awarded a prize, ranging from Express gift cards and merchandise, to packages from event partners Wine Awesomeness, Uber, Night Hotel and Pippin. Select members of the retailer’s loyalty program, Express Next, will receive a golden ticket granting them the opportunity to gain early access to the store and meet Robin Thicke.

The over-the-top grand opening activities befit a location Express characterized as its grandest ever. The design is said to elevate the brand's current high-fashion runway layout with design elements including French limestone floors, white brick walls, Carrera marble fixtures, crystal chandeliers, glass vitrines housing noteworthy trends and two expansive escalators to transport visitors among the three floors.