Meet Warby Parker, MOD Pizza, Sugarfina, Altar’d State, Bentley’s at SPECS

Four retailers and one fast-casual restaurant chain will be honored with Chain Store Age’s annual Breakout Retailer Awards at SPECS/2017. The awards, sponsored by Paint Folks, recognizes innovative retail and restaurant brands that have crossed the “newbie” line and are well positioned for growth in the coming years.



The awards will be presented at SPECS on Tuesday morning, March 14, and the winners will discuss their concepts at a Q&A panel discussion on Tuesday afternoon as part of the SPECS educational program.



Here are the winning brands:



Altar’d State: With 73 stores throughout the Midwest, South, mid-Atlantic and Northeast, this women’s apparel retailer combines a bohemian fashion sensibility and distinctive store experience with an ambitious goal: to change the world for the better. Fifteen to 20 new stores are on tap in 2017, in both new and existing markets.



Bentley’s Pet Stuff: Dedicated to healthy nutrition for dogs and cats, Bentley’s has a smaller-store format that is high on service. With 65 stores scattered throughout Georgia, Colorado, Ohio, Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri and Wisconsin, it plans a total of 90 to 100 stores by year-end.



MOD Pizza: A pioneer of the fast-casual pizza trend, MOD operates with a people-first culture. With some 200 locations in 20 states, the eatery will open approximately 100 units this year.



Sugarfina: This luxury candy boutique offers gourmet sweets made by artisan candy makers from around the globe. It’s growing online and off, with 23 freestanding stores and also in-store shops at Nordstrom. It expects to open another 12 stores this year.



Warby Parker: A model of retail disruption, Warby Parker has upended the eyewear market. Since debuting online in 2010, it has gone on to open 47 stores coast to coast, and reportedly plans to open a minimum of 25 more this year.



For more information and to register for SPECS, go to specsshow.com.