Bonobos Opens Brand Shops in Belk Stores

Online men’s apparel retailer Bonobos has opened brand shops in seven Belk department stores. The locations stretch across Belk’s Southeast empire, from Raleigh, N.C., to Dallas.

The biggest is a 550-square-foot space in Belk’s Southpark Mall store (Charlotte, N.C.), across from a Ralph Lauren shop. Other locations are in Atlanta; Birmingham, Ala.; Huntsville, Ala., and Nashville. A Dallas shop will open in April.

Bonobos ceo Andy Dunn acknowledged that this is a way to get Bonobos in front of a new group of customers, who can’t get used to the idea of buying clothes sight unseen. Dunn has said about half of his customers want to try clothes on in person.

Company president Brad Andrews told Women’s Wear Daily that it’s also a way to gain insight into where the company might someday open its own stores.