True Religion accelerates retail expansion to drive growth

American casual lifestyle apparel and accessories brand True Religion has announced plans to open four new stores in the US this year, bringing its retail footprint to 61 stores, as it sets itself a near-term goal of reaching 150 stores in the region.

The four new openings in 2026 will be in Indianapolis, Indiana; Brandon, Florida; Sacramento, California; and Cherry Hill, New Jersey, following the success of openings in Orlando and Boston.

The retail expansion comes alongside the appointment of Kristen Jones as vice president of retail. Jones has more than three decades of retail experience and joins True Religion from Skechers, where she managed over 300 stores as director of sales and operations. Before that, she held leadership roles for retailers, including Target, Ross Stores, and Levi's, focusing on people, consumer engagement and driving superior operational performance.

In her new role for True Religion, Jones will oversee the company's store growth strategy and fleet optimisation efforts, tasked with driving forward its retail expansion strategy and enhancing its existing stores.

Michael Buckley, chief executive of True Religion, said in a statement: "Our stores are highly profitable, averaging 45 percent four-wall EBITDA margins, while strengthening our e-commerce and wholesale channels. This success gives us confidence to accelerate our retail expansion as we build toward our goal of becoming a 1 billion US dollar lifestyle brand.

“With Kristen joining the team, we've added a proven retail expert who will be instrumental in scaling our brick-and-mortar presence, and we look forward to bringing the True Religion experience to even more consumers."

True Religion believes bricks and mortar retailing will turn it into a 1 billion US dollar brand

True Religion has placed physical retailing at the heart of its ongoing transformation, following American private equity investment firm Acon Investments acquiring a controlling stake in January 2025, which included a strategic partnership with SB360 Capital, an established investor in apparel and retail.

The partnership aimed to enhance True Religion’s digital and retail capabilities, accelerate its international growth by broadening its geographic reach and continuing the diversification of its product offerings, with a major focus on accelerating physical retail store openings in its biggest market in the US.

True Religion adds that its stores are the perfect platform to deliver a “personable experience to customers,” showcasing its “timeless craftsmanship with modern influences,” and highlighting its various apparel categories, including denim, sportswear, T-shirts, shorts, and accessories.

Jones added: "True Religion is in a stage of growth with lots of whitespace opportunity ahead, and I'm eager to continue driving our retail expansion forward and showcasing the magic of this iconic brand."

The focus on retail follows the appointment of former Foot Locker and Urban Outfitters executive Andrew Rauch, who was appointed senior vice president of global digital and e-commerce in May to scale the business and elevate True Religion’s e-commerce presence, which the brand believes should represent 40 to 50 percent of its total revenue.