PacSun Breaks Ties to Past With New Format
Pacific Sunwear of California Inc. started business more than 20 years ago as the core surf shop that broke with tradition and operated in the mall. Since then the Anaheim, Calif.–based company has opened more than 1,000 stores across the United States. Last week, it introduced a new store format that has received high praise from financial analysts and visual display experts.
PacSun debuted its new look July 18 at the Galleria at Tyler shopping center, located in Riverside, Calif., about one hour east of downtown Los Angeles.
The store is 9,000 square feet, almost three times bigger than the average 3,500-square-foot PacSun store. The space is optimal for showcasing the retailer’s top surf and skate brands and newer categories such as denim and luggage, said Jeffrey van Sinderen, a retail analyst with Los Angeles–based B. Riley & Co.
Van Sinderen said one of the biggest changes is that the new design does not rely on PacSun’s heritage. “It’s not so much a beachy, skatepark feeling,” he said.
Curved wood elements on the store’s entrance reflect aspects of a skate ramp, but much of the space represents a break from PacSun’s former look, said visual display expert Brian Dyches.
“Their store presentation was weak in the past, and that made them vulnerable.They now are setting the pace. They came up with a look and feel for others to follow,” said Dyches, vice president of strategy for Toronto-based brand consultant Watt International. “They were trying to provide an environment that if you were a 32-year-old guy, you wouldn’t feel like you were walking back into junior high school.”
The store is divided into three parts. The first section features seasonal products and a denim wall for guys and girls. The cash wrap, dressing rooms and accessories section make up the second part of the store. Shoes, luggage, room deacute;cor and intimate apparel are located in the last section. The shoes and accessories categories grew by 40 percent. Lifestyle products such as luggage by Roxy are among the other new offerings.
PacSun is scheduled to build more than 15 new stores by the end of the year. Analysts said the new shops should be smaller than the Riverside store, ranging from 4,000 to 7,000 square feet, but will feature the same layout.
—Andrew Asch
