Report: Outdoor Voices going online only; closing all stores — here are the locations
Outdoor Voices is reportedly leaving physical retail.
The formerly high-flying, direct-to-consumer activewear brand is closing all its stores on Sunday, March 17, according to various media reports, including The New York Times. The Times report cited an internal Slack message in which some employees were notified on Wednesday (March 13) that “Outdoor Voices is embarking on a new chapter as we transition to an exclusively online business.”
Based in Austin, Texas, Outdoor Voices was founded in 2014 by Ty Hanley with a tagline of #DoingThings. Known for its muted tones and color-blocked leggings, the brand was a savvy user of social media, where its customers would share images of themselves participating in athletic activities. The company also hosted exercise classes and other events.
Several years after it was founded, Outdoor Voices found itself on the fast track, with a devoted following. In 2017, former Gap Inc. CEO Mickey Drexler, was appointed chairman; in 2018, the company had a $110 million valuation. In 2019, the brand was the subject of a profile in the New Yorker magazine that compared it to Lululemon.
Outdoor Voices’s expansion into brick-and-mortar was marked by stylish stores, with no two alike, in high-profile urban locations that included Austin, New York City, Boston, Chicago, San Francisco and more.
But the brand ran into trouble amid increased competition, too-rapid expansion and product missteps. Haney was forced out as CEO in 2020. In February 2021, Gabrielle Conforti joined Outdoor Voices as CEO, after spending the last six years at Urban Outfitters.
Outdoor Voices has been closing stores, including its flagship in Austin's Clarksville neighborhood. It currently has 15 locations listed on its website, including two in New York City.
The full list is below
•Minneapolis (North Loop)
•New York (SoHo and Flatiron)
•San Diego (La Jolla Village)
•Scottsdale (Kierland Commons)
•San Francisco
•Washington DC (Georgetown)
•Dallas (NorthPark Center)
•Houston (Heights Mercantile)
•Denver (RiNo)
•Boston (Seaport District)
•Austin (South Congress)
•Atlanta (Krog District)
•Charlotte (South End)
•Chicago (Lincoln Park)