Hoka has landed in Paris just ahead of this summer’s Olympic Games.
Located at 35 Boulevard des Capucines in the buzzy Opéra neighborhood, the 1,500-sq.-ft. store marks Hoka’s first shop in France and showcases the brand’s full line up of footwear, apparel and accessories.
According to the Deckers-owned running brand, the new store has been designed with natural design elements and features interactive displays that tap into Hoka’s ethos of “joyful movement and commitment to movement and motion for all.”
Guido Geilenkirchen, vice president and general manager of Hoka EMEA, said in a statement that the opening pays tribute to the French runners that have supported the brand since its launch.
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“We’re proud to welcome them to the new Hoka store, where they’ll find their favorite products as well as our latest innovations,” Geilenkirchen said. “This opening also fits in with a commitment to creating a long-term relationship with Parisians and urban runners. Now more than ever, Paris is the 2024 capital of sports and we’re thrilled to be a part of it.”
Deckers chief executive officer Dave Powers also spoke about the Paris store opening briefly on the company’s fourth quarter earnings call last week.
“Though only open for a short time, we have been very encouraged by the consumer feedback, conversion and broad product adoption,” Powers said. “We are excited for Hoka to have a footing in this important market, particularly as the location expects to see high traffic during the upcoming summer Olympics.”
The opening comes as the brand focuses on international expansion after debuting its first London flagship in October. At the time of the opening, the London store was the first location in Hoka’s fleet to unveil its new design concept.
“Aligned with our strategy to solidify Hoka as a global player, international regions are driving particularly strong gains in awareness, increasing more than 80 percent versus the prior year,” Powers told analysts on last week’s call.
“Global consumers who identify as runners remain our highest awareness group and continue to see strong increases, but we are also seeing really powerful growth among consumers who are more general fitness oriented,” the soon-to-be retired CEO added. “While Hoka is increasing its awareness across all age groups, growth is strongest among 18- to 34-year-olds globally with brand awareness among this influential age group nearly doubling year-over-year.”
Deckers wrapped up fiscal 2024 on a high note last week, with net sales increasing 18.2 percent to a record $4.288 billion for the year. At Hoka, the company reported that the brand’s net sales in fiscal 2024 rose 27.9 percent to $1.807 billion, up from $1.413 billion in 2023.
As for fiscal 2025, Deckers is optimistic that Hoka will remain the main driver of growth across the company. The company said that it expects Hoka’s net sales to increase 20 percent over fiscal 2024 next year through consumer acquisition and retention gains in its direct-to-consumer channel, expanding strategically through key partners while maintaining disciplined marketplace management and maintaining a dedicated focus on growing awareness and market share internationally.
