River Island looks to break America with ‘long term’ plan
River Island is readying to make its first physical footprint across the pond, after online sales have surged in the US.
US sales are now several times bigger than pre-pandemic levels, according to the fashion firm’s chief executive Will Kernan.
After the brand has seen surging popularity in locations such as California, New York, Texas and Florida, River Island sees the US as “a major growth opportunity,” Kernan told The Mail On Sunday.
“Even though the brand is not well known in certain parts of the US, what’s interesting is that the product is resonating strongly,” he told the newspaper.
The retail chief described the plan as “long-term” and said the brand would attempt to “understand the market” more before putting down roots in the country.
River Island managed to recoup lost pandemic sales after swinging back into the black in 2021, posting an operating profit of £73.5m in 2021 versus a loss of £36.2m the prior year.