THE FRYE COMPANY ANNOUNCES NATIONWIDE RETAIL EXPANSION PLANS

The Frye Company, a division of LF USA’s footwear group, announced that it will open the doors to its first flagship store this August at 113 Spring St. in the heart of New York City’s historic SoHo neighborhood.  The 6,000-square-foot destination is the first of several stores planned to open nationally and internationally over the next five years, and signals a new era for Frye, which has experienced exponential growth since 2007.

“This is a very exciting time for The Frye Company as we unveil our first store, a new website, and a variety of creative marketing initiatives,” said Larry Tarica, president and COO of Jimlar, manufacturer of Frye. “As we introduce new ways of showcasing the breadth of Frye’s finely crafted leather products, we are forging emotional connections between our iconic American brand and a new generation of savvy, media-educated consumers.”

The Frye store, which reflects a fresh vision of Frye’s heritage and commitment to craft, will include specially designed areas called Service Bar, High Craft, and Raw Room, which will house the brand’s most iconic product, artist collaborations, handbags, and a lounge for special events and vintage trunk shows.  It will also provide “in-store only” services including boot personalization with hot stamping (complimentary for customers who bring in Frye boots they already own), boot tattooing, personal shopping services and private fit specialists.  Over the next five years, the Frye Company plans to open additional locations in key cities in North America and Europe, such as Los Angeles, Boston, Dallas, Aspen, and London.  The Company will also launch in late August a new state-of-the-art ecommerce website and social media platform to provide an online hub for Frye customers.

Company Launches First 360-Degree Ad Campaign to Support Opening

In conjunction with its flagship store opening, The Frye Company will launch its first 360-degree advertising and consumer marketing campaign in the company’s history.  “Eyes Open Feet First” will launch in New York City on August 1 with outdoor advertisements on subways, platforms and kiosks, and will expand with regional outdoor advertising on bus shelters and billboards in September, and print advertisements in publications including New York Magazine, Paper, Gotham, Hamptons, Time Out New York, and The New York Times T Magazine. Also beginning in September, the Company will introduce “FryeSpotting,” where it will create branded “pop up” installations that will take on the character and style of a “mobile showroom on the street,” and offer a preview of selected fall product.

The Shopping Experience

The Frye store is designed to offer an environment that is warm, inviting and intended to be explored, with exposed brick walls, arched insets, ornate decorative columns, ten-inch-wide reclaimed oak wood flooring, reclaimed barn doors, and soaring 15-foot black tin ceilings accentuated by custom-made brass lighting pendants.  Shopping displays feature walnut wood, banker wire, and steel, taking inspiration from vintage workshops, machinery and tools.  To help create the store experience, Frye is partnering with AvroKO, a New York-based design and architecture firm.

Joining SoHo With LEED Certified Store

The store will be one of only two SoHo retail stores in Manhattan seeking Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification from the U.S Green Building Council, which promotes sustainable building practices. Environmentally-responsible construction methods are being used in the over 100-year-old building to garner the highest possible rating in all key classification categories, including materials and resources, energy and atmosphere, and indoor environmental quality.  Reclaimed materials have been sourced within 500 miles to further qualify for the certification.  Frye is working with leading retail and management contracting company, Richter+Ratner, to oversee the construction of the store.

About The Frye Company

The Frye Company, a division of LF USA’s footwear group, was founded by John A. Frye in 1863 to reflect the uniquely American spirit of optimism and independence through his handcrafted footwear. As the nation’s oldest continuously operating footwear label, Frye has become an iconic symbol of American heritage, cultural movements, and timeless style. Today, Frye maintains the same high-quality benchcrafted manufacturing techniques to skillfully create a full range of premium leather products for the next generation of men, women, and children. The Frye brand is as much about attitude and confidence, as it is about style. The company is headquartered in New York City and Florence, Italy. The first Frye retail store will open in August 2011 in New York City.  For more information, please visit www.thefryecompany.com.