NORTH AMERICA-In February, attendees at the NYC Licensing Summit will get an exclusive, inside look at how Aéropostale is beating the odds at retail.

April 6, 2018

3 Min Read

In February, attendees at the NYC Licensing Summit will get an exclusive, inside look at how Aéropostale is beating the odds at retail.

NORTH AMERICA–Amidst the turbulence at brick-and-mortar retail, one chain is making a strong comeback–Aéropostale. Ken Ohashi of Authentic Brands Group, which owns the Aéropostale brand, will give an inside look at how ABG has revived the retail chain and re-shaped it for the future, at the NYC Licensing Summit next February.

In May of 2016, teen retailer Aéropostale found itself part of a growing group of mall-based chains, that also included QuikSilver, PacSun, Wet Seal and dELiA*s, who found themselves struggling to adapt to changing consumer shopping habits.

But in September of that same year, Aéropostale’s story diverged from those other retailers when the chain was bought by a consortium that included brand-building powerhouse Authentic Brands Group alongside two other partners–General Growth Properties and Simon Property Group.

Just four months after the acquisition, ABG re-opened 500 Aéropostale locations across the U.S., marking the beginning of what continues to be a powerful growth trajectory for the previously beleaguered brick-and-mortar retailer.

The chain now has 800 points of service around the world, 300 of which are in international markets, and has since expanded into a host of new product categories including denim and intimates.

Only one question remains–how did they do it? Ken Ohashi, executive vice president of Lifestyle at Authentic Brands Group will offer an unprecedented inside look at how ABG has revived the Aéropostale brand at the NYC Licensing Summit Feb. 20. A retail and fashion executive with more than 20 years of experience, Ohashi previously served as SVP of international and global licensing for Aéropostale before joining ABG as part of the acquisition. He now oversees not only the Aéropostale brand, but also some of ABG’s other powerhouse fashion labels including Frye, Hickey Freeman and Hart Schaffner Marx.

Ohashi will discuss how ABG gave Aéropostale new life through an innovative “Think Global, Act Local” strategy that includes regional experiential activations, a transformative marketing strategy and integrations with the other lifestyle and celebrity brands in ABG’s portfolio

Finding success in the changing retail marketplace will be a key focus of the 2018 NYC Summit, which will be held at the Convene events venue in Times Square Feb. 20. Other topics and speakers already will include:

  • Rosa Zeegers of National Geographic who will discuss the innovative new experiential and retail strategy for this iconic, 130-year-old brand;

  • A look at new retail models that are finding success with consumers including e-commerce flash sale sites, subscription box services and print-on-demand solutions (speakers to be unveiled soon);

  • An exploration of how some retailers and licensees are adjusting their business models to respond more quickly to trends in the age of social media;

  • Alix Kram of Warner Music Group who will talk about the unique role of music brands at retail;

  • And much more!

The NYC Summit is a not-to-miss opportunity for executives in brand licensing looking to shape their business for the future and connect with other thought leaders. Early Bird tickets are still available for the event, but will be ending soon, so interested executives are encouraged to secure their space now.

Find out more and register at www.nyclicensingsummit.com.

The NYC Summit is developed by License Global magazine, part of the Global Licensing Group at UBM, and presented in partnership with LIMA, the brand licensing industry’s leading trade organization. Sponsors already signed on to this year’s event include Authentic Vision, BrandComply.com, Boy Scouts of America, Dependable Solutions, JPatton, OpSec and Trevco. Additional sponsorship opportunities are still available for companies looking to connect with the high-level executives who attend the NYC Summit. Please contact Sharon Weisman for additional details ([email protected]).

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