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At a media event this month, four-time NBA champion Stephen Curry teased several areas of opportunity for his Under Armour-backed imprint, such as golf and the addition of more athletes to his roster.
He also said boosting Curry Brand’s presence internationally was a priority. That includes retail.
“Right now, we want to be everywhere — in APAC [Asia-Pacific], especially. I’m going there for a week and opening up our first Curry Brand store,” Curry said at the press event. “I’m excited about that entire [China tour] experience and what [Curry Brand means] not just here in U.S., but internationally. [I’m excited about] what we can do to make sure that people know what that Splash logo means, what it stands for, and what Curry Brand means and where Under Armour is going.”
On Wednesday, while on the aforementioned tour of China — alongside Curry Brand signature athlete De’Aaron Fox — he revealed the first-ever Curry Brand location. The store, which consumes 3,300 square feet of real estate, is located in Chengdu, the capital of southwestern China’s Sichuan province. Specifically, it is located inside The Ring Chengdu, a complex that opened this summer.
“The store is in a brand-new mall in Chengdu, which is a major metropolis and cultural hub in Central China. With the Curry Brand tour planned to be here and China representing a very important market for us, we decided that Chengdu would be a great place to open our first store,” Jason Archer, managing director of UA APAC at Under Armour, told FN.
It will include the full breadth of Curry Brand’s product, including the “Curry Tour” pack, which features iterations of four Curry signature shoes — Curry 12, Curry 4, Curry 6 FloTro and Curry 1 Flotro — adorned in purple hues.
Curry Brand confirmed the store will open on Sept. 12.
“The future of the brand is very bright, especially in China where basketball is beloved and Stephen Curry is one of the most popular NBA players of all time,” Archer said. “This Curry Brand tour in China is a great example of how the brand is expanding internationally and growing its roster, with De’Aaron Fox headlining the tour with Stephen this year.”
Looking ahead, Archer said there will be more Curry Brand locations — including one more opening during this current China tour.
“There is a second store opening in Xian during the tour as well,” Archer said. “This second Curry Brand store will be adjacent to an Under Armour store, which highlights the connectivity between the brands for customers while allowing for that special Curry Brand-only experience for Curry fans.”
Curry Brand was launched in November 2020. Earning his own imprint with Under Armour was a remarkable feat for Curry, becoming one of the few NBA players ever to have their own brand, joining the likes of basketball icons Patrick Ewing and Michael Jordan.
“This is an opportunity to put a true investment around the purpose that I’ve been living out since I’ve been in the league, to elevate the relationship I have with Under Armour and to make this as authentic to me as possible,” Curry told FN at the time of the launch.
About the Author
Peter Verry is the Senior News and Features Editor for Athletic and Outdoor at Footwear News. He oversees coverage of the two fast-paced and ultracompetitive markets, which includes conducting in-depth interviews with industry leaders and writing stories on sneakers and outdoor shoes. He is a lifelong sneaker addict (and shares his newest purchases via @peterverry on Instagram) and spends most of his free time on a trail. He holds an M.A. in journalism from Hofstra University and can be reached at [email protected].
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