Five Cool Stores for a Hot Summer

The summer has brought with it a flurry of new store openings, from both established players and emerging online-offline stars. Check out the five below … and don’t miss the bonus at the end!

1. Urban Outfitters, New York City

Urban Outfitters goes big in Manhattan, opening a 57,000-sq.-ft “lifestyle destination” format in busy Herald Square. It’s the retailer’s biggest and most unusual location yet, and includes such extras as a hair salon, bookshop, photo shop (where you can print your Instagram snapshots) and coffee bar. Los Angeles’ legendary Amoeba Records has brought in a curated assortment of over 400 vintage vinyl titles — talk about retro cool! Slideshow.

2. Warby Parker, Dallas

When it comes to online players going offline, nobody does it better than Warby Parker. The new Dallas store juxtaposes the eyewear company’s signature hipster frames in a fun, old-fashioned classroom-styled space. And check out the giant pencil sticking out of the roof! Slideshow.

3. Oakley, New York City

Oakley brings its longstanding commitment to technological innovation to its store environment in its Fifth Avenue flagship. From a state-of-the art digital ceiling to a custom eyewear bar where customers design their own frames, the store embodies the sports performance company’s brand ethos. Slideshow.

4. Hershey’s Chocolate World, Las Vegas

The Las Vegas Strip has a new sweet spot: Hershey’s Chocolate World. From Hershey’s Kisses-styled entrances to a 74-ft. high Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Bar, the store immerses visitors in the brand — and uses technology to allow for fun customization. Personalized candy wrappers anyone? Slideshow.

5. Starbucks, Downtown Disney, Orlando, Florida

Starbucks does Disney — and the result is one of its most unique stores to date. The store takes the chain’s green commitment to the next level: It has a green roof made of lemon grass plants (that were fed with compost from coffee grounds from a nearby Starbucks). Slideshow.



And a bonus one just for fun ..

Birchbox, New York City

The fast-growing online beauty subscription company jumps into brick and mortar with a light-filled space designed to replicate its digital experience. Slideshow.