Joe Fresh

Joe Fresh is a Canadian fashion brand and retail chain created by designer Joe Mimran for Canadian food distributor Loblaw Companies Limited. It was formed in 2006. The label includes adult and children's wear, shoes, handbags, jewellery, beauty products, and bath items.

Joe Fresh entered the United States market, with permanent and pop-up stores, in New York City and the surrounding region, with an international flagship store located at 510 Fifth Avenue. In 2012, the brand also appeared in approximately 680 JCPenney stores throughout the United States.

The JCPenney agreement was dismantled in 2015, with the companies making the decision not to renew their existing distribution agreement, which expired on January 30, 2016.[1] The Fifth Avenue store closed in 2015.

History

Concept

In 2004, Loblaw approached Joe Mimran, a co-founder of the Club Monaco

Expansion

In 2010, Joe Fresh moved beyond the supermarket aisle with the opening of its first stand-alone store, located in downtown Vancouver. Months later, Loblaw announced its intent to open 20 dedicated outlets across Canada, 6 to be completed by year's end. Although media reports speculated that the brand would remain strictly a Canadian phenomenon, in 2011, Loblaw announced its most ambitious plans yet for Joe Fresh – four retail outlets slated for metropolitan New York City with "an international flagship store" on Fifth Avenue. Mimran declared it the right move at the right time. "We felt it was time to make the first step into the international market with a store in the American fashion capital, and one of the most exciting cities in the world, New York."[12] But in confirming the brand's entry into the American market, Loblaw president Allan Leighton pointed out that it was "very much a pilot project."[9] One retail analyst, Kaileen Millard-Ruff of market researcher Synovate Canada, referred to the opportunities and pitfalls faced by Canadian retailers who head south of the border in hopes of staking a claim:

"Joe Fresh definitely has an opportunity there, and the U.S. is looking for more cheap chic," she said. "And the designs don't look cheap, they look more sophisticated. It all comes down to whether Loblaw will put in the cash to do it properly, because in New York you have to look like a big thing to be a big thing... that's everything on execution from the space, to product, to fixtures, to lighting. Fifth Avenue is not the cheapest real estate around."[9]

But while Loblaw management was cautious in tone regarding Joe's entry into the American market, Mimran spoke ambitiously, envisioning as many as 800 stores across the U.S. in five years, with the possibility of taking the label beyond North America, into Europe and Asia. He noted that Joe Fresh already competes successfully with international brands at home in Canada. "Today, if you have a proposition that resonates, it can work across cultures and borders."[13] Mimran also expressed the view that considering the enormous sales volume of the brand in Canada, to not attempt an entry into the United States market and beyond would be a matter of "short-changing ourselves."[2]

New York

In July 2011, New Yorkers were given a sneak preview of Joe Fresh fashion with the opening of a 600-square-foot pop-up summer store, replete with a wall display of brightly colored flip-flops, at the Long Island resort of East Hampton Village.[14] New York City's first glimpse of Joe followed in the fall with the October opening of a temporary "holiday store" on Madison Avenue.[15] But it was with the unveiling of stores at Bridgewater and Garden City, that Joe began ringing in sales at its first permanent U.S. outlets. New York City's first permanent Joe Fresh store, located in Manhattan's Flatiron District, opened in November 2011. Mimran, present for the grand opening of a new Joe Fresh boutique at 110 Fifth Avenue, acknowledged the crowded nature of the New York's low-price high fashion market, but contended there's always a place for a new player with integrity:

The fashion industry allows newcomers. This is not an exclusionary industry. I think if you get beat it's not because of the competition, it's because you are not good enough. Women do love to shop around, and they like to have a handful of brands that they like to frequent. It's not about one single brand. This is not the computer business, it's the fashion game. There isn't one department store, there isn't one specialty store. And what we've shown, especially in Canada, is we can play with international competition. So why can't we do it here?[16]

Joe's new international flagship headquarters, located on Fifth Avenue and 43rd Street, opened in the spring of 2012. The New York ad campaign featured the slogan, "Irresistible fashion for Everyone. Affordable fashion for Anyone."[17]

In July 2012, it was announced that Joe Fresh and JCPenney were teaming up to open close to 700 Joe stores in the retailer's outlets throughout the United States. Mimran described the move as "akin to a roll-out but done very quickly" and noted that it would give Joe Fresh national exposure.[18] March 2013 saw the launch of 681 Joe Fresh stores throughout JCPenney locations.[19] The brand also became available online, featured on the JCPenney website.

type	Apparel, footwear, accessories, beauty and cosmetics
currentowner	Loblaw Companies
origin	Toronto, Canada
introduced	2006
markets	Canada United States UAE South Korea Philippines Saudi Arabia Jordan Lebanon Egypt Morocco Algeria Macedonia Montenegro Croatia Bosnia Kazakhstan Azerbaijan Georgia Belarus Armenia Serbia Spain
tagline	Fresh style. Fresh price.
website	https://www.joefresh.com

History

Concept

Launch

Sales

Product line

Expansion

New York

Issues

See also

References