Retail Detail. Manhattan Mango Flagship Opens. Second City Style Fashion Blog

Just in time for Black Friday, fast-fashion retailer MNG by Mango opened the company's first Manhattan unit, a 7,500-square-foot flagship on Wednesday in SoHo.

Mango's U.S. stores are called MNG by Mango (for trademark reasons) has opened at 561 Broadway...finally. The old tenant did not want to vacate so the opening was delayed.

According to WWD, the Barcelona chiains' NY store features a mix of antiques and modern furniture. Antique mirrors hang on the walls, and sweaters and accessories are displayed on 18th-century tables.

Mango operates 1,070 stores in 92 countries; its competitors H&M and Zara have stores in 28 countries and 68 countries, respectively. However, H&M and Zara are more developed in the U.S., which Mango entered a year ago (in Chicago). Zara has 25 stores in the U.S. and H&M has 132.

Mango prides itself as not taking a cookie-cutter approach to merchandising. "Our stores are merchandised according to climate, population and taste," Jose Gomez, vice president of business development at Mango said. "We have a Siberian collection for cold countries. We have an Arabic collection for the Middle East. It uses lighter fabrics and different designs. As far as sizes, we do smaller sizes for Asia. We're learning from the market.

Mango engages European and American designers for what it calls the New York and Paris collections. They are produced four times a year, and prices are 20% above those of typical Mango fare. The retailer also produces Limited Edition collections such as the line designed by Penélope Cruz and her sister, Mónica, which is now in stores. "We thought Penélope was a good link," Gomez said. "She's from Spain and is well known in the U.S. With all these collections, we are trying to add value for our customers." Milla Jovovich has designed another collection featuring dresses and skirts.

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Photos: WWD & Mango