Kenneth Cole to Launch Major European Expansion: Aiming for 100 Stores in 30 Countries by 2030

Kenneth Cole gives wings to its European expansion. The U.S. fashion company is preparing the launch of up to one hundred stores to bring its proposal to thirty countries, positioning Europe at the center of its growth strategy for the coming years. The company will start with Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

The company will begin expansion in March, with a first store in Prague. Austria will follow in May, with openings in Germany, Scandinavia and the Baltic region. The stores will be between 2,400 and 3,900 square feet and will take the form of franchises, according to WWD.

The European expansion will generate between $400 million and $500 million in sales by 2030. As a preliminary step to opening stores, the company will launch a first showroom in Düsseldorf to showcase its products to wholesalers and potential franchisees. Wholesale activity will begin in autumn.

Kenneth Cole expects to generate between $400 and $500 million in sales by 2030

Kenneth Cole president and CEO Jed Berger has defended the European expansion: “Many companies like ours are global, and their percentage of business outside the United States is significantly higher than ours”. That’s why he said the company has “plenty of room for growth” and the “right product, with the right way to deliver, the right partners and the infrastructure” to do it in Europe.

Although the company has not advanced financial figures, Berger has assured that the company has performed well in the United States: “We have had another strong year of growth, considering the global context,“ he said. He insists that both the women’s fashion line, through the Kasper proposal, and the men’s sportswear and tailoring have “exceeded expectations”. The women’s line is only one year old.

Kenneth Cole has a warehouse in Venlo, the Netherlands, which will serve wholesalers, stores and franchises through a B2B platform that will provide access to men’s and women’s fashion, footwear, accessories, luggage, home and children’s fashion products.