Plus-size fashion retailer in name change; to open freestanding stores

Altar’d State is upping its game in women’s mid-size and plus-size fashions.

The young women’s apparel retailer has changed the name of its  A'Beautiful Soul brand, which offers sizes 10 to 24, to Arula.  The new name means "shining as the sun, brilliant and filled with grace." The ethos of Arula is "Inspired by Beauty,” the company said.

“We value our guests above all, and what we heard from them is that the old name had some negative implications, and that's not how we want our guests to feel," said Dana Seguin, Arula chief marketing officer. "We always want our guests to feel beautiful, inspired and uplifted in every way, and we know that words matter. After reflecting on this feedback, we realized that we needed a new name, one that more accurately reflects what we stand for."

There are currently 17 Arula storefronts attached to Altar’d State stores. The shops offer an immersive experience designed to engage the shopper's senses and raise the bar for mid-size and plus-size shopping. As a brand, Arula said it aspires to help its customers leave the store feeling better than when they walked in. The company described its customer as a 25 to 35-year-old female who wants to be seen for her beauty, has a passion for giving back and has a love of fashion.

Altar'd State plans to grow the Arula brand and to expand it into new markets. The retailer plans to debut a standalone Arula store in October, with more locations to follow.

Online, Arula is looking to deliver an experience that shoppers can connect with anywhere with models of different sizes, easy outfitting tools and a top-notch guest service that it said will set the brand apart.  

"This brand started from the heart," said Aaron Walters, chairman and CEO of Altar'd State, Arula and Vow'd (the company’s wedding brand). "I have memories as a child shopping with my mother and seeing her break down and cry from never being able to find anything to wear. That stuck with me and has driven us to create beautiful options for those who have not had options in the past. Sixty-seven percent of women only have 3% of the floor space in shopping centers, and we are going to change this." 

Founded in 2009, Altar’d State operates 120 locations in 37 states. The company is an advocate for connecting retail with goodwill through efforts ranging from donations in local communities to a generous volunteer program for associates to funding child-focused, global initiatives that support social development efforts in underserved areas in Peru.

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