A Frankie4 shop Down Under (Image: Frankie4 Shoes)
Global brands big and small continue to dabble in retail experiments and new concepts in Pike/Pine. The latest will be rapidly growing Frankie4 Shoes as the Australian fashion footwear designer plans to open its first U.S. “concept store” later this year on E Pine.
Permits for the shop show it taking the corner space at 501 E Pine with a classic Capitol Hill recent retail history — ventures including the shuttered anarchist co-op Black Coffee and a shop for the PUBLIC Bikes startup that closed after just under two years of business.
The new store will neighbor the Raygun Lounge. CHS checked in with the game shop and arcade as the popular hangout struggled through COVID-19 restrictions. It has now fully reopened.
UPDATE: Business Operations Manager for Frankie4’s Madeline Losee tells CHS the Capitol Hill location will also be home the company’s U.S. headquarters with office space and a customer support call center. The company’s Australian leadership chose Seattle, Losee said, due to the “innovative nature of the city” and it “marriage of culture and style” based around a growing number of outdoor and adventure brands.
“It’s a perfect fit,” Losee said.
The headquarters and store will bring new activity to the building and some new jobs to the neighborhood — Losee says they are hiring for retail and call center positions.
The store will debut in September with a soft opening and “private fittings” for customers in the new space designed as “a beautiful showcase with natural wood and plants,” Losee says,” and a focus on “a personalized experience for these customers” and “everything they need for better foot health.”
Frankie4 Shoes has grown from its Australian roots with a focus on footwear fashion grounded in “Podiatrist-designed support.”
“Our shoes are taking women further. Healthily empowering us with the confidence to kick goals at home, work and play. More human than a brand, we spoil our customers (and their feet) with the love and attention they deserve, while following our heart to improve the lives of Australian families and do better by our planet,” the “about us” page reads.
The company has not announced details of its first U.S. concept store but says the location is “opening soon.”
The brand’s choice of Pike/Pine for its global retail launch is part of a trend ranging from hometown retail giant Amazon’s experiments in grocery retail here and fellow global titan Starbucks launching its first ever “roastery” concept store on the Hill.
Other players from beyond the Pacific Northwest have also been attracted to the neighborhood’s mix of arts venues, clubs, bars, restaurants, and nightlife and increasingly young and wealthy demographics.
Last week, CHS reported on the restart of the pandemic-paused plans for a new Pike/Pine store from buzzworthy beauty brand Glossier after the makeup retailer’s previous experiment with a Capitol Hill pop-up.
For now, no opening date has been announced for the new Frankie4 Shoes shop. You’ll find it at 501 E Pine. Learn more at us.frankie4.com.
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