Shinola will bring its handcrafted watches, leather goods, bicycles and more to Ann Arbor at a new store set to open in downtown this May.
Shinola Chief Operating Officer Heath Carr says there has been "overwhelming response" from people who live in Ann Arbor visiting the existing location in midtown Detroit, whether driving or filling a shuttle bus that ran regularly between the storefront and Ann Arbor this past holiday season.
"We always talked about how do we expand in the state of Michigan, and Ann Arbor seemed like a logical place," Carr says.
Some final preparation has to be completed at the 1,500-square-foot location, at the corner of Liberty and Main, and then Shinola can start getting the space ready for summer shoppers. The store will also include a Commonwealth coffee shop and about 2,000 square feet in the lower level that will include a community lounge with tables and seating, ping pong tables and event space.
Carr says he wants the stores to be integrated into the community and feel like they've always been there. "We're excited to continue to roll out the Shinola story and products and be a part of these communities," he says.
Carr expects to hire about six to eight people to start and possibly more as the store expands. Commonwealth will also hire a few of its own staff.
The Ann Arbor location will be Shinola's seventh brick-and-mortar store. It has other locations in New York, London, Minneapolis, Los Angeles and Chicago.
Source: Heath Carr, chief operating officer at Shinola
Writer: Kristin Lukowski
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