- Vans' sales are through the roof.
- Vans has been making California skate culture a global phenomenon since the brand's inception in the 1960s, and it's currently hugely popular among teens.
- Part of why the brand is so successful today is because of the popularity of athleisure and a resurgence in retro styles.
- We visited a Vans store in New York City to better understand why the brand is so successful right now.
Vans is bringing California skate culture around the world.
The brand is thriving after more than 50 years in business. Vans' sales rose a whopping 35% last quarter, parent company VF Corp announced on July 20.
As teens shift from favoring athletic styles to street styles, Vans is apparently one of the first brands they pick up, according to Piper Jaffray. Part of why the brand has found success as of late is that it is able to capitalize on two major trends happening right now: athleisure and a preference for vintage and retro styles.
"People are wearing athletic apparel now for all kinds of occasions — work, play, and school — without any intention of using them for athletic purposes," Matt Powell, a sports industry analyst at market research firm NPD Group, said to CNN Money. "There's a lengthy heritage around California lifestyle here. Most people who buy Vans don't have a clue about how to skateboard."
Vans, rooted in 1960s skate culture, also appeals to younger shoppers who are embracing vintage styles. For example, clothes with visible logos are back in style — and that's something Vans sells a lot of. Vans' global president, Doug Palladini, told Business Insider's Dennis Green in 2017 that he sees a "multi-generational" appeal in Vans that makes it unique, adding that both parents and teens can wear it.
We visited a Vans store in New York City to see for ourselves why the brand is so successful right now. Here's what it was like:
We visited the Vans store in Union Square in Manhattan.
The layout was very straightforward — men's clothes were on the left, women's on the right, and shoes in the back. The store was pretty busy considering it was the middle of the day mid-week.
The brand's ties to skate culture were evident all over the store. Vintage-looking photos of skateboarders were all over the walls, and the "Off the Wall" slogan, rooted in skateboarding, was seen all over the store.
See the rest of the story at INSIDER
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