Under Armour branches out with full-line retail store

WASHINGTON (Map, News) - Baltimore athletic apparel company Under Armour opened its first full-line store in Annapolis Westfield Mall in Maryland on Thursday.

Under Armour is one of 60 stores and restaurants in the mall’s new 240,000-square-foot wing, which also debuted Thursday.

“We’re thrilled. ... It’s an exciting day for the brand,” said Chris Hufnagel, senior director of retail for Under Armour.

The store will carry the brand’s full line of products, which focus on pulling moisture away from the body.

With a mezzanine level and surround sound, the facade is designed with a tunnel entryway to create the experience of walking onto the field right before a game.

About 30 employees were hired for the 4,500-square-foot store, most of whom are athletes, including managers who played sports in college and student athletes, Hufnagel said.

The company views the store as a testing ground for new products and for merchandising strategies, which it can share with other retailers that carry the brand, Hufnagel said.

The company had been thinking about opening a store for a while and began plans in earnest in February, according to Hufnagel.

“A retail store will take them from being viewed as a niche football-only company to being looked at as a major player within the sports manufacturing industry as a whole,” said John Tobias, vice president of SFX Worldwide, which represents athletes, some of whom have endorsements with Under Armour.

Under Armour already has 15 outlet stores across the country, known as Factory Houses, and expects to have 17 by the end of the year.

Additional full-line stores are also in the works, depending on the Annapolis store’s success,

Hufnagel said.

The company was founded by former University of Maryland football player Kevin Plank, who started it in his grandmother’s Washington row house.

wblake@dcexaminer.com

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