Timbuk2 Opens First Retail Store in Japan; Offering First-Ever In-Store Bag Customizer in Japanese
SAN FRANCISCO (February 23, 2015) – Timbuk2, the original San Francisco-based creator of the messenger bag and made-in-America customization, today proudly announces the opening of its first official brick-and-mortar store in Japan. Nestled within The Lodge, a premier multi-brand store in Kyoto City, Timbuk2 is prominently featured and easily available to the active and stylish population, matching Kyoto’s celebrated community-centered background. Most notably, this is the first time Timbuk2’s Custom Bag Builder for made-in-San Francisco bags will be available in a language other than English.

The 190 sq. ft. shop-in-shop is located at 220, Takamiya-cho, Takakuranishi-Iru, Oikedori, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto City, Kyoto, Japan, a space known for hosting contemporary, high-end fashion shops alongside stores with centuries of history selling traditional Kyoto crafts and specialty foods. The vibrant scene will offer a warm home for Timbuk2’s first (of more to come) brick-and-mortar spaces in Japan. Among various notable design features, the real show stopper is the in-store customizer, featuring over 60 stylish fabrics, which will evolve with each season. As the second of only two outside North America, this customizer tops charts as the first-ever Timbuk2 in-store customizer to offer all text, instructions and currency in the local language. All custom bags are handmade in Timbuk2’s San Francisco factory and shipped out within a week of order.

“We chose Kyoto because of its beauty, sensibility, ambiance and shared vision with us. Timbuk2 strives to make its customers’ lives more seamless, be it through travel, commute or bike:  it’s in our DNA,” said Timbuk2 CEO Patti Cazzato. “This is why it was key the customizer in our Kyoto store be offered entirely in the local language and currency. Nothing is more important to us than having our customers drop in and design a custom bag in a fun and straightforward fashion.”

“For more than two decades we have been outfitting stylish, hardworking, free-spirited individuals with truly personalized bags, and we thought it was only natural we bring our most innovative custom offering to date to the Japanese market,” continues Cazzato.

The Kyoto retail space showcases the customizer plus exclusive designs of Made-in-San Francisco bags in small-batch quantity fabrics, limited editions, as well as Timbuk2’s entire product line of more than 100 styles of bags and accessories including the latest Spring 2015 collection. As the flagship store in Japan, this location will be the place where future collaborations and special events for Japan are launched.

Timbuk2’s first flagship store opened in San Francisco Hayes Valley in 2006. Known for its comprehensive customization offerings, the store quickly became the spot to design one-of-a-kind, hand-made in San Francisco bags and accessories, in addition to a hub for local bike commuting enthusiasts. Timbuk2 has since opened stores in Seattle, Denver, Chicago, Venice Beach, Toronto, Japan, Korea, Singapore, and Thailand.

Timbuk2 Kyoto is located at 220, Takamiya-cho, Takakuranishi-Iru, Oikedori, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto City, Kyoto, Japan, 604-0835. Starting Friday, February 20, the store will be open 7 days per week, 10:30AM-8:00PM.

For more information about Timbuk2 Kyoto visit https://timbuk2.jp/.

About Timbuk2

Timbuk2 is a San Francisco original, founded 26 years ago by bike messenger Rob Honeycutt in a garage in the city’s Mission District. Since its inception in 1989, Timbuk2 has designed quality bags, packs and accessories built to last a lifetime, evolving from the original bike messenger company to a pioneer of made-in-America customization and an industry leader in forward-thinking, sustainable manufacturing. The relentless drive to inspire urban mobility, enable individuality and promote responsibility has propelled Timbuk2 forward as it continues fusing passion and style to create durable, functional products informed by the company’s longstanding cycling roots and today’s vibrant city landscape. Timbuk2 products are sold at its retail stores in San Francisco, Seattle, Denver, Chicago, Venice Beach, Toronto, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Thailand, specialty retailers, and online at www.Timbuk2.com.


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