Under Armour opens its first European flagship store in Amsterdam

Amsterdam - US sportswear brand Under Armour opened its debut flagship store in Europe in Amsterdam Thursday evening. The store, which is the first and largest Brand House store from Under Armour, spans more than 1,000 square meters.

Located on the Kalverstraat, a main shopping street in the city, the new Brand House offers Under Armour's menswear, womenswear, childrenswear as well as footwear. In addition, the flagship store also offers the brand's accessories, which are divided by category: training, running, golf and football. "This store is very important to us," said Paul Nugent, Senior Direct for Marketing to FashionUnited during the store opening. "We are a young brand and we are still putting Under Armour on the map in the Netherlands. We first introduced the brand to the country a year ago, established our European headquarters in the city and now we have opened a store. Now we have to take the brand to the next level."

"Today is a huge milestone for Under Armor in Europe, where our growth in the region continues to grow, " added Susie McCabe, Senior Vice President, Global Retail, Under Armour. "The premium quality of the store is fully in line with the other Brand Houses worldwide. Under Armour has, of course, added local elements that reflect the style and liveliness of Dutch and Amsterdam culture."

Amsterdam was a logical location for the brand to select when it came to opening their first flagship store. "There is something special about Amsterdam. There is a certain atmosphere in this city that radiates that 'we can achieve any goal.' That aligns exactly with the brand. The experience in the Under Armor store is very important to us. We want people to be inspired when they come in and feel that they want and can become better and a Brand House must be the place that represents the brand. Not just because of the technology behind a product, but also because of the feeling it evokes," added Nugent.

For the time being the brand does not intend to open any additional European stores. Under Armour is rather currently focusing its attention on its store in Amsterdam and will see how things pan out in the future. "The beauty of Under Armor is that we do not have a specific strategy in each market that we always follow, but we respond to opportunities. So we will see what the future brings us," concluded Nugent.

Founded by Kevin Plank in Baltimore, Maryland in 1996, the company has grown over the years and is present across the globe. The US sportswear brand currently operates a number of offices around the world, including its European head office in Amsterdam South.

Photos: Courtesy of Under Armour