Dive Brief:
- A.k.a. Brands has signed lease agreements for eight new Princess Polly stores in the U.S., with more announcements expected during the year, according to a company news release.
- New locations for the women’s fashion retailer, slated to open in the second half of 2026 and early 2027, include Houston and Frisco, Texas; Orlando, Boca Raton and Jacksonville, Florida; Edina, Minnesota; Nashville, Tennessee; and Charlotte, North Carolina.
- The openings mark the first time a Princess Polly store will be introduced to Minnesota and Texas.
Dive Insight:
Parent company A.k.a. Brands is building on the U.S. success of Princess Polly since it first launched a brick-and-mortar location in Los Angeles in 2023.
Princess Polly debuted in 2010 as a digital brand in Australia and has come to believe that brick and mortar is a good way to reach consumers where they live and shop.
“Since opening our first store in Los Angeles, the response to Princess Polly’s retail expansion has exceeded expectations,” Eirin Bryett, co-CEO of Princess Polly, said in a statement. “Bringing Princess Polly into physical retail allows us to connect with our customers in real life and deliver the on-trend fashion they love through an immersive, in-store experience.”
Princess Polly is also planning to expand in Australia this year after debuting its first Australian retail location at Bondi Beach in 2025.
Princess Polly is the largest brand in A.k.a.’s portfolio and currently accounts for about half of the company’s revenue. In Q4, A.k.a. reported a 3.1% increase in global net sales year over year to $164 million. Sales in the U.S. market during the quarter increased 5.3%. For the quarter, net loss widened to $14.5 million, compared to a loss of $9.4 million last year.
For the 2025 fiscal year, overall net sales for A.k.a. Brands were up 4.4% to $600.2 million. Net loss expanded to $31.4 million, from a $26 million net loss last year.
For fiscal 2026, A.k.a. is expecting sales to reach between $625 million and $635 million, with capital expenditures of between $18 million and $20 million.
Last year, A.k.a. brands solidified part of its C-suite by naming Ciaran Long as its chief executive officer. Long had been acting as interim CEO since the spring of 2023. Upon Long’s appointment, Kevin Grant, who was the company’s global controller, was named chief financial officer.
