Business and retail news : Under Armour to open Harbor East retail store next year

Though Under Armour still plans to open a store at its Tide Point headquarters, the company felt it had gone too long without a retail space in the city it calls home.

Under Armour announced Thursday that it will open a specialty store at Harbor East in February. Construction on the 8,000-square-foot store at 700 S. President St., not far from J. Crew, will begin this month.

The company reported a 31 percent increase in direct-to-consumer revenue for the third quarter as it further transitioned from selling mostly in big-box stores. Adding new stores is part of the long-term plan.

"We've had great partners that have been with us a long time, from Dick's to Sports Authority and on and on," senior vice president Henry Stafford said. "But we want to have a space where we can really show the full range of what we do.
"We're not just the tight T-shirt company anymore."

Under Armour has opened specialty stores elsewhere — Annapolis was the first, and the most recent, in Vail, Colo., focused on outdoor gear. The Baltimore store will feature state-of-the-art technology to show off the company's newest products. Stafford also said hiring experts in specific sports and the local athletic scene will set the store apart.

"If somebody wants to come in and start taking spinning classes, we'll have a person who can guide them every step of the way," he said. "Show them what to wear, what shoes they need and also where they can find these classes."

( by chris.korman@baltsun.com  and eileen.ambrose@baltsun.com The Baltimore Sun )