Rihanna’s Savage X Fenty straps on a brick-and-mortar strategy

TheFuture. Rihanna’s Savage X Fenty is leveraging its online success by expanding into stand-alone retail stores. By going brick-and-mortar, Rihanna may have the ability to build experience in-store that matches the creativity she brings to her fashion shows.

Let’s get physical
Victoria’s Secret walked so Savage X Fenty could run.

• After building a huge customer base online, Rihanna’s lingerie brand is expanding into physical stores.
• The company will build several stand-alone stores throughout 2022, starting with the U.S.

Next up, the stores will eventually launch in Europe… which could set the stage for a relaunch of Rihanna’s fashion house, Fenty, which she opened under the LVMH luxury banner. Of note, that brand was “indefinitely suspended” in February 2021.

Brand ambassadors
Co-president and chief merchandising and design officer Christiane Pendarvis says that “Retail is an important part of our growth strategy […] because fit and comfort are so important, there are just customers who don’t feel comfortable purchasing online.”

The explosive growth of Savage X Fenty recently minted Rihanna as the richest female musician in the world ($1.7 billion net worth). It’s further proof that celebrity-backed retailers hit big at the register — Kanye and Yeezy, Kate Hudson and Fabletics, and Pharrell and Billionaire Boys Club.

But with Savage X Fenty, Rihanna seems to be in a class all of her own.