Gen Z Fashion Label Princess Polly Flocks To The Mall With Brick-And-Mortar Expansion Plans
Gen Z-focused retail brand Princess Polly is deepening its brick-and-mortar push with a slew of new stores planned in the U.S. and abroad.
Eight new U.S. stores are on the way from the midrange fashion company, according to a March 5 earnings report from parent a.k.a. Brands. Half will open this year, and the remaining four will debut the following year. The new openings will bring the brand's store count to 21.
This year, Princess Polly will enter Minnesota and Texas. Houston and Frisco will each get a location in the Lone Star State. Edina, Minnesota, and Orlando, Florida, are also up for 2026 openings.
Locations in Jacksonville and Boca Raton, Florida, are planned in 2027, as are stores in Nashville and Charlotte.
The company said it plans to announce even more U.S. openings throughout the year.
Princess Polly began as an e-commerce brand in 2010 and first opened stores in its home of Australia. The first U.S. store opened in 2023 at Westfield Century City in Los Angeles. Princess Polly co-CEO Eirin Bryett said in a press release that the U.S. reception to its brick-and-mortar expansion has exceeded expectations.
In the U.S., fourth-quarter sales grew by 7% year-over-year in 2025, a.k.a. Brands CEO Ciaran Long said during a fourth-quarter and full-year earnings call.
For the full year, sales increased 4.4% to $600M.
Princess Polly's physical presence follows its audience to the shopping mall. Gen Z has been a driving force behind the mall’s resurgence in recent years. Foot traffic is trending positive as indoor mall visits grew 4% in January and 5% in February, according to Placer.ai.
The brand has ample space to choose from as storefronts are being vacated by brands unable to recover from the pandemic. Saks Fifth Avenue, Forever 21 and Francesca's have all announced Chapter 11 bankruptcy and a major reduction in their footprints in the past year, mostly in malls.
Last year, Princess Polly entered New York City with an 8K SF SoHo location that spans two floors.
