WHITE RIVER JUNCTION, VT (BRAIN)—Ibex Outdoor Clothing opened its first brick and mortar store in the Back Bay area of Boston. The new 1,000-square-foot store on historical Newbury Street gives Bostonians and visitors the opportunity to fully experience the unique, fun-loving culture of the wool apparel brand.
“Opening our first retail store and allowing customers to touch and feel our products while engaging with our people is a milestone for Ibex. We aim to educate people that wool is the very best textile for those who live an active lifestyle, due to its superior natural performance properties to regulate body temperature and resist odor,” said John Fernsell, founder and CEO of Ibex Outdoor Clothing. “Introducing a store in Boston was a natural evolution for Ibex as we continue to expand our presence. Its proximity to our headquarters in Vermont provides the ideal back drop for a flagship store.”
Additionally, Ibex has hired retail operations leader, Vinita Goswami, formally of lululemon athletica USA, to serve as general manager of retail store operations. Goswami, who opened the first mall-based lululemon in New York and the first city-central lululemon in Boston, brings with her a deep understanding of the active apparel retail space and will oversee virtually all operations from human resources to customer relations, visual merchandising, sales and the deployment and execution of programs designed to connect Ibex with the local Boston community.
“As an athlete and wool enthusiast, I’m excited to join a company that shares my passion for what I truly believe is the best textile for leading an active lifestyle,” said Goswami. “After spending years as a yoga instructor, I understand the value of the versatile performance properties of merino wool active wear, and am excited for the opportunity to further inspire individuals to explore wool as an alternative to synthetic fabrics.”
The Newbury Street store opening and hiring of Goswami is part of a larger strategic business plan intended to support corporate growth and expansion of Ibex in 2010 and beyond. These initiatives, combined with the creation of nine new positions (a 35 percent increase in staff) this year alone, will help fuel future brick and mortar store openings.
