RETAIL WATCH
Urban Outfitters returns to San Antonio with new North Star Mall store
Urban Outfitters is back, baby.
Six months after closing its only San Antonio store, Urban Outfitters (UO) is giving the city another go. The brand, synonymous with 2000s “hipster” fashion, will head to North Star Mall at 7400 San Pedro Ave.
UO abruptly pulled out of The Shops at La Cantera in late January. Although the store did not give an explanation for the move, it was likely part of a broader corporate initiative. According to industry tracker The Robin Report, parent company URBN has been closing underperforming stores while focusing on its growing Free People, FP Movement, and Nuuly rental brands.
Richard Hayne, Judy Wicks, and Scott Belair started the brand in 1970 as part of a University of Pennsylvania entrepreneurship course, initially calling it Free People. When the business grew to two storefronts, they created the Urban Outfitters name. Eventually, the two labels would diverge on style, although each capitalized on American counterculture.
While Free People carried on the freewheeling hippie aesthetic of the ‘70s, Urban Outfitters specialized in a more current form of hip. At its height, it became a must-stop for suburbanites wanting to cop urban style —and see in-store sets by bands like Bloc Party and Vampire Weekend.
Since those days, UO has shifted from its indie sleaze roots. Currently, both the women’s and men’s departments are leaning towards comfortable basics and athletic wear — perhaps a grab at the Gen Z audience. It’s unclear if the new 8,806-square-foot San Antonio store will have a home section, but those goods tend to lend themselves to poppy dopamine decor.
According to a new Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation filing, Urban Outfitters 2.0 plans to wrap up construction in November. Construction timelines, as always, are subject to change, and the company has not announced an exact opening date.
