TravisMathew’s retail presence is growing nationally in the U.S. and physically in existing stores.
The Huntington Beach-based lifestyle apparel brand revealed a full redesign of its flagship store at the Fashion Island shopping center last month.
Originally a 2,000-square-foot space, the shop has added another 5,000 square feet to the Newport Beach location, which was TravisMathew’s first retail center when it opened in 2014.
The company now counts 41 store locations globally and is plotting a major expansion; it’s aiming to open more than five stores a year going forward.
Sports Bar Feel
The latest space looks as much as an upscale sports bar than a traditional brick-and-mortar store, counting TVs for watching sports, custom branded games like shuffleboard and a Ping-Pong table, and a PuttView golf aid for customers to try out while shopping.
This design aims to emphasize what officials refer to as the “gamification” of shopping in a TravisMathew store.
A stylized feature of the store includes a life-size version of one of the original Travis-Mathew golf cart logos, parked in the glass window of the storefront, where customers can sit and slide in and out of the store.
What’s key to the new space is the additional collections and pieces the store can now display.
“We don’t want to lose the brand’s DNA,” Vice President of Retail Bob Hyde told the Business Journal.
The space was designed internally by the TravisMathew team.
Expanded Offerings
The renovated storefront now includes a wider selection of TravisMathew apparel, including its first women’s collection which launched about a month ago. A new and elevated look to stores began development in 2018 but being in the company’s backyard of Newport Beach, the team aimed to make an outsized statement at Fashion Island, officials say.
Hyde pointed out that the store expansion was timely along with TravisMathew’s recent product and category expansion.
The purpose of the new model is to make space for its growing product as the company plans to expand its average 2,500-square-foot spaces to similar sizes of the 7,000-square-foot Fashion Island stop.
“It’s going to give us a lot of room to test things out and see how products do when given the right amount of display space and get a read on what’s working,” Hyde said.
The company plans to take the training ground of this new model and use it as more open. TravisMathew entered the Northeast market for the first time this month with a location in Boston; a store in New York is about to start construction.
“We’re creating a casual environment for shoppers to spend time in and giving people a reason to come in store,” Hyde said. “We want customers to interact with our team, linger and eventually make a purchase.”
With the company’s 15th anniversary coming up, a grand reopening celebration is from July 15 to 17 at the Newport Beach spot.
Retail Presence
Callaway Golf Co. (NYSE: ELY) acquired TravisMathew in 2017 for $125.5 million. At the time, the company was largely a golf-focused brand, with five stores in total.
It’s since expanded its reach. TravisMathew’s shirts, pants, shoes and other accessories—a more upscale version of the athleisure apparel segment that’s been a top performer the past two years—are increasingly in vogue in post-pandemic offices as many businesses have gone more casual.
The apparel retailer will have 41 stores by the end of the year, including a new international spot at the St. Andrews Links golf course in Scotland which will open in August.
Apparel and gear make up about 11% of overall revenue for Callaway, and TravisMathew has played a big part of that segment. For its first quarter, Callaway’s retail comp store growth increased 50%.
“We see the TravisMathew brand eclipsing $300 million in revenue and $50 million in adjusted EBITDA by the end of this year. They have impressive momentum, and we see a clear path to continued growth ahead,” Callaway CEO Chip Brewer told analysts in May.
“We’ll do retail when it’s appropriate and relevant to really lift the brand, and to present our brand in the right light,” Hyde said of the conservative approach to the brand’s expansion.
Quarterback Visit
A recent visitor to the expanded store was Matt Ryan, the new quarterback of the Indianapolis Colts, who became an official ambassador for the brand in June 2021.
Ryan told the Business Journal that he had known the owners of TravisMathew prior to their partnership, having come out to Southern California for the past 10 years for training and golf. He said he’s shopped at the previous 2,000-square-foot OC location.
“It’s amazing to see what it has become. For me, seeing it specifically in Southern California for such a long time, and now seeing it expand all across the country and all over the place in Atlanta and Indianapolis, it’s been really cool,” Ryan, who last played for the Atlanta Falcons, told the Business Journal.
Ryan recently extended his partnership with TravisMathew for two more years, looking forward to more lines coming out and new stores opening. He sees it as a potential long partnership.
His favorite pieces include the V-neck and the crewneck tees, which are staples in his closet. The over 14-year athlete said he appreciates the flexibility of the material, and the low-key casual fit the brand provides including polos and activewear.
“I’m a big basics guy, and they definitely did that right. And there’s something for everybody,” Ryan said.
Other brand ambassadors include actor Chris Pratt and pro golfer Jon Rahm.
