Sass & Bide will hit the streets of Los Angeles at the end of May, as it looks to stretch its retail footprint to the North American market.
Sass & Bide currently operates 19 stores across Australia and New Zealand, in addition to 18 concessions at department store Myer and its recently revamped e-commerce platform. Chief executive David Briskin told Ragtrader the brand had been considering Los Angeles as a retail hotspot for some time, with a research trip scheduled to take place late next month.
Briskin believed Robertson Boulevard would offer the best positioning for Sass & Bide, adding a store opening could occur as early as October if a suitable location is secured. The brand is also aiming to launch an international shipping option on its online portal by the close of 2012, following a sweeping overhaul of the platform late last year.
Briskin said key challenges were pricing and protecting distributors positioned in global markets, with Australian retail price points pitched lower than other regions. The expansion strategies, which have also included a broader domestic retail presence, occur just over a year after Myer scooped a 65 per cent stake in the brand for $42.2 million.
Sass & Bide was founded in 1999 by Sarah-Jane Clarke and Heidi Middleton, with Briskin partnering with investor Daniel Besen to first invest in the brand in 2009.