Image Courtesy of PUMA
PUMA opened its second U.S. flagship in Las Vegas, becoming the latest brand to establish a showcase store in “Sin City.”
The German sportswear brand’s first U.S. flagship, measuring 18,000 square feet across two floors, opened in New York City in 2019.
The Las Vegas flagship, measuring 25,000 square feet across three floors, is located at the BLVD Las Vegas, a new 400,000-square-foot mixed-use development on The Strip. PUMA’s store will include a number of “immersive and interactive features,” including a Motorsports Zone — PUMA is the official sponsor of Formula 1 races — and the PUMA Arcade, which “features RUN, GOLF, and SOCCER experiences.”
In a statement, CEO Arne Freundt said the flagship supports PUMA’s “brand elevation” strategy, reaching both U.S. and international consumers. He said, “I believe that our new Las Vegas Flagship is essential for conveying the true character of our PUMA Brand and for creating an immersive, interactive shopping experience as it will redefine in-person shopping by seamlessly merging sports performance, latest fashion trends, and technology.”
The move comes as Las Vegas has started adding professional sports leagues, starting with hockey’s Vegas Golden Knights in 2017, followed by the Las Vegas Aces in the WNBA and Las Vegas Raiders in the NFL. The MLB’s Las Vegas Athletics will arrive from Oakland in 2028.
Bob Philion, president of PUMA North America, said, “Las Vegas is a booming sports city that attracts millions of visitors each year and is a global destination for entertainment and fashion.”
Other leases recently signed for the BLVD retail complex include a 25,000-square-foot location for Adidas and 20,000 square feet for H&M.
Other recent flagships opening on the Strip this year include ones from the Japanese streetwear brand BAPE and Western boot brand Ariat. Lids, the sports fan apparel store, opened a two-story, 12,000-square-foot flagship on the legendary boulevard in 2022.
"Opening our newest and largest Lids store to date in the heart of Las Vegas was an obvious choice for us as the area is a shopping destination known around the world," said Britten Maughan, president at Lids, at the time.
With its appeal to affluent tourists, Vegas has established itself as a luxury shopping mecca, bolstered by the openings of The Forum Shops at Caesars Palace in 1992, the Grand Canal Shoppes at The Venetian Resort in 1999, Miracle Mile Shops in 2000, and The Shops at Crystals in 2005.
Janet Lafevre, senior marketing manager at the Grand Canal Shoppes, said more than 90% of the mall’s shoppers are tourists. She told the Las Vegas Review-Journal, “Our luxury retailers really thrive with the international customer that comes in, and that’s a real focus for us.”
Marie Driscoll, managing director of luxury and fashion at Coresight Research, told Retail Brew about the appeal of Las Vegas shopping: “If you’re there on business for a conference, it’s a great place to say, ‘Okay, well let me just do a little bit of luxury shopping,’ and if you’re there on holiday, to enjoy the shows and [gamble], you are in a different world. The sun never sets, the restaurants and gambling tables are open all night long. You walk out feeling like, ‘Where can I spend my winnings? Or maybe I better spend something before I lose more money.’”
While plenty of adult entertainment can be found on the Strip, the arrival of sports franchises has continued to expand the “Disneyfication” of the Strip, with more family-friendly options arriving for visitors. Brendan Bussmann, managing partner at B Global, a consulting firm that serves the gaming industry, recently told CNN, “The only way to grow a destination is to appeal to more groups.”