Dive Brief:
- Wayfair’s Perigold luxury home retail brand has opened its first brick-and-mortar store, located in Houston, according to a press release.
- The 20,000-square-foot flagship store is located at Highland Village, a shopping destination built in 1957 that caters to luxury retail among its 60 tenants.
- The Houston store features over 150 luxury home brands, including Visual Comfort, Century Furniture, Oly, House of Rohl and Theodore Alexander. It also features immersive displays from such designers as Marie Flanigan, Julie Neill, Evan Millard and Jessica Davis.
Dive Insight:
The Perigold store opening adds to Wayfair’s strategy of expanding its offline footprint.
“Opening our first physical store is a transformative step for Perigold, and there’s no better city to begin this journey in than Houston,” Rebecca Ginns, global head of Perigold, said in a statement. “This is a market where design is celebrated and our customers are deeply engaged. We’re excited to create a space that reflects our commitment to excellence in both product and experience.”
Wayfair last year originally announced the first Perigold store would open in West Palm Beach, Florida, in the fall of 2025. The company said the 30,000-square-foot store, located in the downtown’s CityPlace outdoor shopping and dining destination, is still on track to open this year.
Wayfair has slowly been adding to its stable of brick-and-mortar stores. It announced plans in 2021 to open three stores, including two All-Modern locations and one Joss & Main, all to be located in the parent’s home state of Massachusetts.
Wayfair opened its first large format store under its namesake banner last year in Wilmette, Illinois. The company is already planning to expand the concept, with a second large format location set to open in 2026 in Atlanta and a third such store set to open in 2027 in Yonkers, New York.
Wayfair’s offline strategy comes at a time when the home furnishings market is struggling to regain its footing after facing sharp demand declines. In its most recent earnings, the retailer reported a 5.4% decrease in its customer base, notching just over 21 million. While U.S. revenue inched up 1.6% to $2.4 billion, international revenue was down nearly 11% due mainly to the brand’s exit from Germany.
