In & Out: A Rapidly Expanding Abercrombie Is Coming To Philly & Replacing Vans On Walnut
The revitalized and once-again-fashionable brand is coming to 1702 Walnut St, taking Vans second location.
Ask and you shall receive – but at a price.
The revitalized Abercrombie that was one of the top requested brands by residents in Center City’s 2024 retail survey is coming to the neighborhood, and replacing Vans at 1702 Walnut Street.
This sucks only because Vans reopening after the 2020 fire that brought it down was a success story. However, the parent company that owns it and North Face is struggling. North Face is closing in January, and now Vans will follow in February.
Ironically, Abercrombie was also struggling a while back but has now risen from the (not-literal) ashes, like a Phoenix. Hell, they carry EAGLES merch (Go Birds). Per Retail Dive:
Abercrombie’s net sales rose 15% from a year ago to $629.8 million, with comps rising 11%. The company’s Hollister brands saw comps rise 21% and a 14% year-over-year rise in net sales to $579.1 million. By the end of the year, the company plans to open 60 new stores (about 40 Abercrombie and 20 Hollister), close 40 locations, and complete 60 remodels and rightsizes.
The good news is that, if you’re looking for Vans after February, the new JD Sports carries a nice selection of the shoes. Unfortunately (again, yin and yang) the lovely staff of 12 will be laid off. Hoping they are able to stay in the neighborhood. Maybe at some of the other stores we requested, like Zara?
